


Blades Crossed

by the-reylo-void (Anysia)



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: "This is our get-along skating program and Maz says we have to wear it", Alternate Universe - Skating, Angst and Humor, Antagonistic Banter, Badass Rey, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Hockey, Ice Skating, Kylo Ren Needs a Hug, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2017-01-01
Packaged: 2018-09-11 14:58:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 26,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8990419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anysia/pseuds/the-reylo-void
Summary: Notorious figure skater Kylo Ren has had a rough few years; once a decorated competitor, now it's hard to say what he's losing faster, sponsors or partners. With Nationals just six months out and no qualified partner on the horizon, Kylo finds himself begrudgingly skating with college hockey phenom Rey Kenobi, a scrappy forward coming off injured reserve who doesn't know a lutz from an axel. It's only for six months, but family drama, a twisted coach, and a budding closeness to his new partner ensure that this will be the most eventful competition season of Kylo's career.





	1. Act I

**Author's Note:**

  * For [second_chances](https://archiveofourown.org/users/second_chances/gifts).



> **Prompt:** Figure skating AU with Kylo and Rey newly-paired up (bonus points for Kylo as a figure skater and Rey as a hockey player)
> 
> I went through not so much a complicated thought process as I drafted and wrote this fic so much as a repetitive one: namely, "Oh my God, this is long. This is _really_ long. Please let my recipient like long fics, amen." 
> 
> I hope you enjoy your gift, second_chances!
> 
> \---
> 
> **NOTES:**
> 
> \- While I attempted to keep the setting and terminology as accurate as possible, I took substantial artistic liberties with the competition schedule and structure for narrative purposes. 
> 
> \- _Huge_ thanks to my friend Brooke, a former competitive figure skater, for going over the technical terminology and keeping me from making any major mistakes. Any errors that remain in the final copy are entirely my own.
> 
> \- Thanks also to my friend Val for double-checking my medical terminology (you'll see). 
> 
> \- And finally, thanks to the wonderful mods at the Reylo Fanfiction Anthology for running yet another wonderful project. See you at the next go-round, everyone!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song for Kylo & Rey's first performance (which most of you have probably heard but may not have known the name of!): <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up0t2ZDfX7E>

**_‘Death Spiral’: Kylo Ren’s Latest Partner is OUT_ **

September 1, 2016 – TMZ Staff

 

Skating’s most notorious figure, the infamous Kylo Ren, has found himself flying solo yet again. Once known for his fluid choreography and risky jumps, often incorporating the near-impossible quadruple lutz into his programs, in recent years Ren’s off-ice antics have made headlines more than his skating.

 

Representatives for Ren had only weeks ago announced his new partnership with up-and-coming French skater Sophie Villenueve, Ren’s third partner since his disastrous seventh-place finish in national competition two years ago.

 

Unfortunately for Ren, TMZ sources report seeing Villeneuve storm out of a practice facility in downtown Coruscant yesterday morning. Representatives for Villeneuve issued a statement this morning confirming that she and Ren will no longer skate together.

 

(Representatives for Ren declined to comment on this story.)

 

It’s been a rough ride for Kylo Ren. Once the golden boy of figure skating, Ren has spent the last six years weathering scandal after scandal: a ban from singles competition, his infamous drunk-driving arrest, an ugly public split with his first coach, legendary skater Luke Skywalker. Earlier this year, TMZ obtained documents related to alleged assault charges filed against Ren after a barroom brawl with a young unnamed Manhattan financier.

 

Villeneuve’s departure is only the latest entry in the saga of a spiraling skater whose best days seem long behind him.

**\---**

Rey sniffed and rubbed her nose against the edge of her glove, hefting her equipment bag onto one shoulder as she wedged her cellphone between the other and her cheek.

 

“Yeah,” she said, cursing as her bag thumped against the bumper of a parked car. “Professor Ramirez cancelled classes this afternoon, so I have some extra time to practice before the game tonight.”

 

“Right, because you need so much practice.” Rey grinned — she could almost see Finn’s affectionate eyeroll, the crooked smile of exasperation. “How many hat tricks this season?”

 

“One, but only because Unkar Plutt is the worst officiant in the league and didn’t count that goal against Tatooine when we both know he should have.”

 

“He probably remembered you from the home game against Naboo when you called him a liar right to his face.”

 

“He _is_ a liar,” Rey grumbled as she continued making her way across the parking lot. “We both know they were offsides. I saw it, you saw it, _he_ saw it. That goal never should have counted. And it cost us the game.”

 

“Two points, big deal. You’re still one of the top scorers in the league.”

 

“ _One of_. I want to work on gaining speed through the line.”

 

“Rey, if you go any faster up the wings you’re going to break the sound barrier. Calm down.”

 

Rey sighed as she stepped over the concrete barrier leading to the rink. There was a man pacing by the doors, clutching his cellphone to his ear, every line of his body screaming frustration. Rey frowned a little, walking towards the farthest door from him. “Hey, I’m at the rink — I’ll see you at the game tonight, okay? Benny’s afterwards?”

 

“To celebrate our inevitable victory with pulled pork nachos? You’re on.”

 

“...I’m not speaking to some intern! Get Steve Asher on the phone, _now._ ”

 

Rey raised an eyebrow as the man by the front doors all but spat the words into his phone. She whispered a quick “bye” to Finn, disconnected her own call and slipped her phone into her coat pocket before tugging on the closest entry door.

 

Locked.

 

Rey cursed under her breath, ducking her head down and attempting to skirt the building as the man paced. He was tall and broad-set, dressed all in black, and might have been handsome if not for his dark scowl and narrowed eyes. He looked oddly familiar, but Rey brushed the feeling aside.

 

“Excuse me,” Rey muttered, ignoring his glare as she attempted the front doors.

 

Also locked.

 

She let out a sigh of frustration. She’d called the rink manager, damn it, and he’d promised he’d leave the place open for her at two.

 

“Fine, then just give him a fucking message, okay? The new one is gone, and I need him to get someone with a functioning brain or he can take his retainer fee and fuck off.”

 

Rey dropped her bag at her feet and leaned back against the front doors. She raised her eyes to the heavens in mute supplication, biting back an oath and taking a deep breath. “…hey.”

 

“I don’t give a shit if he has a contract. That contract requires him not to be completely incompetent at his job.”

 

“Hey.”

 

“…don’t you fucking dare, kid. She stormed out — what was I supposed to do, throw myself in front of her car and beg forgiveness? It’s not my fault she couldn’t execute. Tell her to sue.”

 

“ _Hey_.”

 

The man leveled her with a baleful stare. “Do you always interrupt people when they’re on the phone?” he asked, annoyed.

 

Rey tapped on the front door with one gloved hand. “Do you have a key? Mr. Howe said I could use the rink at 2.”

 

“Yeah, well, I’m still practicing.” He turned his back to her, resuming a string of profanity at the recipient of his call.

 

Rey narrowed her eyes and stalked over to him, grabbing his arm.

 

The man recoiled, looking at her in a mix of annoyance and disbelief. “I’ll call you back,” he said into his phone, pressing the ‘end call’ button and staring down at Rey.

 

Rey sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Look, I have to practice, too. Can you just open the door?”

 

The man laughed humorlessly, slipping his phone into his pocket. “Yeah, and you can be on this side of it. I have two more hours of practice scheduled, then they’ll have to resurface. You can ‘practice’…” He curved his fingers into quotation marks. “…after that.”

 

Rey huffed, taking another step closer. “I’m sorry, is there a reason we can’t share an Olympic-sized rink? Just let me in the damn building and I won’t get in your way, believe me.”

 

The man ignored her, moving towards the front doors. Rey dashed in front of him, pressing her back up against the doors and glaring at him.

 

The man narrowed his eyes at her. “Move.”

 

“No.”

 

He sighed angrily, carding one hand through his hair. “You’re definitely the most stubborn paparazzo I’ve ever seen. What do you want?”

 

Rey stared at him, uncomprehending. “I’m sorry, the most stubborn _what_?”

 

The man rolled his eyes. “Not the brightest one, though. Look, whatever they’re giving you to follow me, I’ll double it if you get the hell out of here in the next two minutes and don’t spin whatever you heard from that phone call into your next ‘story’. Deal?”

 

Rey gestured inarticulately, indicating the hockey bag at her feet. “…I’m sorry, do you think this is all for decoration? One, I really need to practice, and two, _I don’t know who the fuck you even are._ ”

 

The man raised an eyebrow at her, darkly amused. “Kylo Ren. You’ve heard of me.” It wasn’t a question, and it dripped with arrogance.

 

…of course. _That’s_ why he looked familiar. She recognized him from any number of lurid tabloid covers, involved in this scandal, involved with that young _ingénue._

 

“What, do you want an autograph?” the man sneered, pushing past her and slipping a key into the lock before she could react.

 

“…no, you going to hell would be gift enough.” Rey gathered up her bag, ignoring the man’s amused glance as she ducked her head down and stalked back to her truck, trembling with rage.

 

She extracted her phone, thumbed through her favorite contacts and blindly hit the ‘call’ button.

 

“Hello?”

 

“No practice,” she ground out, leaning back in the driver’s seat and clenching her teeth. “Apparently the rink is guarded by a complete _asshole_.”

 

“Shit, what happened?” She could hear the rush of cars in the background — Finn must have been walking home from class.

 

“You worked at this rink awhile back, right? Did you ever run into Kylo Ren? The figure skater?”

 

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. “…I used to drive the Zamboni,” he said finally. “Passed through after a couple of his practices. That dude is _certifiable,_ Rey. Like I know the news is always talking about him getting in trouble or whatever, but I saw him literally throw his skates halfway across the rink, scream his head off, break benches… you name it.”

 

Rey frowned, casting a glance towards the rink.

 

“…you didn’t, like, _talk_ to him or anything, did you? I read somewhere that his last partner kicked his ass to the curb and he’s acting like a moody teenager who got dumped.”

 

“Yeah, I definitely got that from him.”

 

“What else did you get?” There was a hint of concern, but also curiosity, and Rey’s frown deepened.

 

“That I’m really glad I’m not skating next to him,” she said.

 

\---

 

“Rey, go!”

 

Rey grit her teeth and ducked her head, skating hard up the left wing, guiding the puck along her stick. The opposing team’s defense struggled to regroup as she split through the offensive zone, dangling and deking, the crowd cheering as she took off into a dead breakaway.

 

She could hear her harsh breathing, feel her blood pounding as the world narrowed to just her oncoming rush and the goalie steadying himself, preparing…

 

He dropped down into the butterfly just as Rey fired a hard slapshot over his right shoulder.

 

“ _Yes!”_ The team swarmed her, yelling and pulling her into a tight hug as the goal light flashed and the goal horn blared. The crowd was on its feet, all cheering roars and jubilant screams. 

 

Rey grinned, flashing a thumbs-up at Finn as he cheered from the bench. God, it had felt so good to stretch her legs like that on the breakaway, especially after she’d lost out on her solo practice session earlier in the day.

 

Rey frowned as she skated back to the bench, the celebration continuing around her. It still rankled: her lost practice, her encounter with Kylo Ren.

 

Rey rolled her eyes at the memory. She’d never really met a “celebrity” before, even a disgraced one, and if that’s what they all were like, she wasn’t sure she ever wanted to again.

 

Really, how hard would it have been to share the ice with her? Just for an hour? Just enough time to…

 

Lost in her thoughts, Rey didn't notice one of the defensemen she’d blazed past skating towards her at full-tilt, his eyes narrowed and shoulders squared.

 

“ _Rey, look out_!”

 

She registered Finn’s warning a half-second before something large and heavy barreled into her, before she went careening backwards, before her head impacted with a sickening _crack_ along the boards, before the crowd erupted into screams and horrified gasps and everything went dark.

 

\---

**THREE MONTHS LATER**

**\---**

 

_NYPD Headquarters – New York, NY_

_Email Communication_

NOTICE: The following exchange contains privileged information and is intended only for the use of the intended participants. If you are not one of the intended recipients, notify the sender and delete any and all copies of the included messages. Any unauthorized disclosure, use, distribution, or reproduction of this message or any attachments is prohibited.

 

 **From:** [redacted]@ny.state.us

 **To:** [redacted]@nyc.gov

 **Subject:** Case KR

 

Hey, chief — did you get that request I CC’ed you on from upstairs? Wanted to make sure you were getting on that ASAP.

 

 **From:** [redacted]@nyc.gov

 **To:** [redacted]@ny.state.us

 **Subject:** re: Case KR

 

Admin assistant is still filing paperwork but file shld show charges cleared asap. Sure about this? Vic was messed up pretty bad 

 

 **From:** [redacted]@ny.state.us

 **To:** [redacted]@nyc.gov

 **Subject:** re: re: Case KR

 

Vic can pursue civil (if he wants — last I heard we had a whole file on the Hux family. Kid’s not clean). Official DA position is that the case is dropped, no questions asked, and this conversation never happened. Personal favor for the Senator.

 

 **From:** [redacted]@nyc.gov

 **To:** [redacted]@ny.state.us

 **Subject:** re: re: re: case KR

 

10-4 but she’s going to need a lot more favors for that kid of hers to get his s*&! together

 

 **From:** [redacted]@ny.state.us

 **To:** [redacted]@nyc.gov

 **Subject:** re: re: re: re: case KR

 

Favors, hell. She needs a miracle.

 

\---

 

“All right, gentlemen. This is the situation.”

 

Rey propped her elbows on the kitchen table, glancing from the two men sitting beside her to the spread of food before them: three packs of stove-top ramen, a half-empty bag of tortilla chips, a pack of almonds, a box of instant hot chocolate mix, and a dented can of peaches.

 

“…can you mix almonds with ramen?” Finn asked, sighing. “Is anyone’s bank account in the positives right now?”

 

“…well, after paying the electric bill, I’m at $2.50,” Poe noted, leaning back in his chair. “So, I mean, if we want to go real fancy we can split two items from the dollar menu.”

 

“Ah, so this is what the big time feels like.” Finn crooked a grin as Poe gently elbowed him in the ribs.

 

“Honestly, Rey, you should just eat the ramen; coach will probably have us eat something a little more protein-heavy before…”

 

Poe trailed off as Finn frantically waved his hands, shooting a wary look at Rey.

 

Rey crooked a smile at the two of them as she stood from the table, moving towards the kitchenette. “Guys, it’s been three months. It’s okay.”

 

“We still miss you, for what it’s worth,” Poe offered, abashed.

 

Rey nodded, bracing her hands against the chipped sink. “I know. Thanks.”

 

“No one’s saying you can’t come back to it when you’re…” Finn gestured to his head. “…better.”

 

“We’ll see.” Rey pursed her lips, staring out the small window over the sink.

 

“Because… I mean, it was so important to you for so long that…”

 

“Finn.” He turned to see Poe shaking his head.

 

Poe glanced at Rey, half-turning his back to her. “I had a nasty concussion in high school,” he murmured. “It’s not easy.”

 

“Hockey meant everything to her,” Finn whispered back. “I knew her through three foster homes, Poe. It kept her going.”

 

“She’ll come back to it. But in her time, not ours.”

 

Finn huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “Well if you insist on being reasonable about it.” He grinned despite himself as Poe looped an arm around his shoulders and kissed his temple.

 

A sudden knock sounded from the front entryway, hollow against the termite-weakened wood of the front door.

 

“If it’s Vince McMahon, remember: split into even thirds, we discussed it.”

 

“ _Ed_ McMahon,” Rey called back to Poe distractedly as she moved to answer the door.

 

“I’ll take a check from either. I’m not picky.”

 

Rey tossed a grin over her shoulder as she peered through the fisheye, frowning a little at the unfamiliar diminutive woman on the other side of the door. She opened it a crack, peering past the security chain. “…hi, can I help you?”

 

The woman was immaculately dressed in a crisp pantsuit, her hair twisted into a series of intricate braids, freshwater pearls at her ears and draped across her neck. “Rey Kenobi?” the woman asked, and her voice was far softer than the clipped tone Rey had been expecting.

 

“…depends,” Rey answered carefully, one hand pushing against the door.

 

The woman smiled, and the corners of her eyes crinkled. “I’m not here to collect on a debt, if that’s what you’re thinking. Actually, I need your help.”

 

Rey frowned for a long moment before closing the door, just long enough to remove the security chain. When she opened it, the woman stepped fully into the apartment, making a beeline for the kitchen table. Despite her small stature, she carried herself like a queen, and Rey found herself following despite herself.

 

“Gentlemen,” the woman said warmly, taking a seat at the table, “if you’ll excuse us.”

 

Finn and Poe looked at each other, then around the tiny apartment.

 

“…well,” Poe said at last, “we do have this sudden windfall of cash to help with groceries.”

 

“Right,” Finn agreed, retrieving his coat. “And good timing, since we just ran out of filet mignon and all.”

 

“Text us if you need anything, okay, Rey?” Poe called back as he moved towards the doorway. He paused. “…like… thirty cents maximum, okay?”

 

Rey waved as he and Finn left, their curious gazes lingering just a little too long on the mystery woman seated at their table.

 

After they left, neither she nor Rey spoke for a long moment.

 

“You don’t know who I am, do you,” the woman said first, tilting her head to the side a fraction.

 

“I…” Rey’s mind flashed, unbidden, to a nearly-forgotten encounter from a few months earlier, dark eyes and open disdain, _you’ve heard of me_. “…I’m sorry.”

 

The woman laughed, and Rey jumped. “It’s all right. I’m Leia Organa-Solo. It’s nice to meet you, Rey.”

 

 _Leia Organa-Solo._ The name dropped into place, calling up some distant, dusty memory of the notorious spitfire figure skater who’d sat out the 1980 Olympics even before the Carter boycott, even though she was the odds-on favorite for gold in the short program.

 

“…you’re a senator now, right? Something like that?” Rey said, struggling to remember if this was the same woman she’d seen on the news from time to time, a fiery orator on the Senate floor.

 

“Something like that.” Leia smiled. “We’re out of session for the next week, though, which gave me time to address some… pressing problems outside of my service to the republic.” She reached into her crisp white blazer and extracted a slim file, opening it and setting it on the table before her, delicately pushing aside the crumpled bag of tortilla chips.

 

Rey’s eyes widened as she stared at the dossier before her: her senior yearbook picture, blown up and paperclipped to a single sheet of paper, all small type and neat lines.

 

“Rey Kenobi, originally from Jakku,” Leia read, tapping the file with one manicured finger. “Age 21, junior in mechanical engineering at Coruscant University. Three years all-state hockey, MVP honors with the Coruscant Ice Warriors, league highest scorer.” She raised an eyebrow. “Quite a résumé. I imagine you must skate well, as a forward.”

 

“I mean… I held my own, I guess.”

 

“More than held your own, from what I’ve heard. Leading scorer, and as the only woman in a league full of men? Very impressive.”

 

“Yeah… well.” Rey shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “If you know all that, you must also know that I’m retired. Got leveled with an illegal hit during a game three months ago. They gave the guy who did it a lifetime ban, but…” She sighed, tapped her temple with her forefinger. “Damage done.”

 

“Mm,” Leia said noncommittally, leaning back in her chair. “I suppose I should get right to the point here, Rey. I need you on the ice.”

 

“…but I just told you, I’m not playing anym…”

 

“You were cleared to skate a month ago, weren’t you? Despite what you may have told your roommates.”

 

Rey froze, her blood running cold as she stared at the woman in front of her. “…how do you know that?" she whispered. 

 

“I’m not asking why you haven’t gone back. Your motivations are your own. Besides, I’m not here about your hockey skills.” Leia leaned forward, leveling her with a matter-of-fact stare. “I’m here about your skating skills.”

 

Rey blinked at her. “…I’m sorry, what?”

 

“Have you ever heard of Kylo Ren?”

 

 _Kylo Ren_. Rey’s mind flashed back to her chance encounter with the scowling man outside the local rink three months earlier, on what had ultimately become the worst day of her life. “Unfortunately yes,” she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest.

 

“So you know that he’s been encountering some… difficulties lately.”

 

“I don’t read the tabloids.” There was a note of hope on Leia’s face, but it faded when Rey finished: “…not that you need to to know that guy always seems to be in some kind of trouble. I actually met him once. Probably the single most unpleasant human being I’ve ever encountered.”

 

Leia sighed. “That does sound like my son, unfortunately.”

 

 _My son._ Rey stared at Leia, mouth agape, the pieces starting to come together. “You’re Kylo Ren’s _mother_?”

 

“I am, though he’s certainly gone out of his way to hide that fact for some time now.”

 

“Which makes his father Han Solo? _The_ Han Solo? The best enforcer to ever hoist the Stanley Cup way back with the Bruins in ‘70?”

 

Leia closed her eyes for a moment, a flash of pain across her aristocratic features. “Yes, he was,” she said softly. “We… lost my husband in an accident two years ago. Ben…” She shook her head. “ _Kylo_ , I’m sorry, I’ll never get used to calling him that… never even came to the funeral. They were… deeply estranged, my husband and my son.”

 

Rey grimaced. “I, uh… I’m sorry.”

 

Leia nodded. “My apologies. Old wounds.” She cleared her throat. “But that’s not why I’m here. The truth is… the situation with my son is dire and getting worse. He’s been banned from singles competition because of his behavior, he’s losing sponsors left and right, and his last partner refused to continue skating with him after a... disagreement during practice.”

 

“…it’s a shame,” Rey said carefully. “But I… I’m not sure how I can help with any of this.”

 

Leia’s gaze sharpened, and Rey found herself unable to look away from the older woman’s pointed stare. “I’m told you’re a strong skater,” Leia said. “And, more to the point, you can go toe-to-toe with skaters twice your size and body weight. You broke the glass ceiling in college hockey, infiltrated the boys’ club. I asked around — everyone I talked to said the same thing about your skating style: grit and determination.”

 

Leia’s appraising gaze never left Rey. “No figure skater has been able to weather the storm of my son. But maybe a hockey player can.”

 

Her words seem to hang suspended between them for a long moment, as realization slowly dawned on Rey. “You…” She struggled to articulate the words. “…you’re asking me to be _Kylo Ren’s skating partner_?”

 

“Yes,” Leia responded bluntly.

 

Rey stared at her, visions of sequins and Spandex dancing through her mind, pearly-white smiles and dainty spins. “No.”

 

“Rey…”

 

“I wouldn’t even be one of those ‘Ice Girls’ between periods when they tried to recruit me freshman year. _No._ ”

 

“Would you like time to consider? There’s considerable benefit involved for you.”

 

“There is no way I am putting my physical safety in the hands of a man whose primary claim to fame is being the biggest jackass to ever strap on a pair of skates!” She winced a little at the look on Leia’s face. “…sorry.”

 

Leia waved away the apology. “Here’s the situation. Be— _Kylo_ needs to qualify for and compete in Nationals this year, or it’ll be nearly impossible for him and his career to recover. You don’t have to be good, you certainly don’t have to win _—_  there just needs to be a clear message sent that he’s still a contender. After Nationals, our agreement is at an end, and you’ll be fairly compensated for your time and effort.”

 

Leia flipped through the file and retrieved a small slip of paper, sliding it across the table to Rey with an expectant look.

 

Rey took the paper gingerly, scanning its contents. She blanched as the terms written on it registered. “…full tuition, current, future, and retroactive? Two _years’_ rent and utilities?”

 

“My lawyers and I have also discussed the possibility of a discretionary spending account for incidentals,” Leia said matter-of-factly. Her features softened. “And I’d like to add in my own contribution.”

 

Rey’s eyes were wide as saucers as she stared at Leia.

 

“A lifetime of hockey equipment and fees — sticks, pads, ice time, whatever you need — if you ever decide to return to the game.” She reached across the table and patted Rey’s hand. Her own was warm. “And, from what I’ve heard, you should. One day, when you’re ready.”

 

It was such a motherly gesture that Rey felt the pinprick of tears at the corners of her eyes, and she could almost forget the impossible proposal the woman had just laid out in front of her. “I…” Rey hesitated. “Mrs. Organa-Solo… uh, _Senator…_ ”

 

“’Leia’ is fine.”

 

“Okay… um, Leia…” The casual use of the woman’s name felt awkward on her tongue, but Rey pressed on. “This... this is a huge ask. I mean, I’ve never really _skated_ skated. I did some pond skating when I was little, but this is…”

 

Rey trailed off, her eyes straying again to the paper in front of her and the bold-faced figures laid out on it.

 

A fat drop of water fell from the ceiling and landed square in the middle of it, and Rey and Leia both looked up to see a trickle staining the tile.

 

“…been meaning to call the super about that leak,” Rey muttered, cheeks flushing in embarrassment. She cleared her throat. “When do you need a decision by?”

 

“Three days, please,” Leia said, standing and dusting off her jacket. “Nationals are only six months out, and I’d need time to come up with a Plan B.”

 

“I just…” Rey stood, scrambling to open the door as Leia made her way to the front entryway. “I don’t know if this is possible.”

 

Leia smiled at her and patted her cheek. “I think you’re capable of a lot more than you give yourself credit for. Let me know.”

 

“I’ll…” Rey opened the door for Leia, leaning hard against it. “I’ll definitely think about it.”

 

Leia nodded. “Think long and hard, Rey,” she said, and her voice was soft and threaded with steel all at once. She handed Rey a slip of paper with a phone number written on it in a neat hand. “Call me when you’ve decided. Day or night.”

 

“I will,” Rey murmured. “Goodnight… Leia.”

 

“Goodnight, Rey.”

 

\---

 

“…so that’s the story,” Rey sighed, resting her forehead against the scarred wooden surface of the kitchen table, a cool cloth draped over the back of her neck.

 

Poe and Finn stared at her, a basket of fries between them.

 

“So… are you gonna do it?” Poe ventured.

 

“…I don’t know.” She raised her head and looked at them, biting her lip. “I mean… _two years’_ rent and utilities, guys. For six months of work.”

 

“Yeah, but six months with _Kylo Ren_ ,” Finn pointed out. He wasn't quite looking at her.

 

Rey sighed. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you guys about getting cleared to skate,” she said. “I just… didn’t want to feel like I had to come back until I was ready.”

 

Finn and Poe both nodded. “Look, whatever you decide, we’ll support you, peanut,” Finn said, grasping her hand. “Just call us every fifteen minutes from practice so we know you’re safe, okay?”

 

“ _Finn_.” Rey sighed again and reached across to steal a fry. “I honestly can’t believe I’m even considering this.”

 

“Well,” Poe hazarded, “it can’t be too different, right? I mean, they have skates, we have skates. They’re on ice, we’re on ice. Their jerseys are a lot tighter and you don’t get to wear pants, but apart from that…”

 

“Poe, stop talking,” Rey muttered.

 

He winced, pushing the basket of fries towards her. “I’m sorry — just trying to lighten the tension with…”

 

“No, I mean…” Rey extracted her phone from her pocket, taking a deep breath and dialing the number on the slip of paper in front of her.

 

Finn and Poe exchanged a glance as Rey closed her eyes, counting her heartbeats as the phone rang.

 

Leia picked up on the fourth ring. “Rey?”

 

Rey almost laughed.

 

Of course Leia knew her number.

 

She’d never stood a chance against this woman.

 

“Leia,” Rey said, opening her eyes and nodding as Finn and Poe gave her simultaneous thumbs-up, “I’m in.”

 

\---

 

The next morning, the sun still rising over the treetops, Rey found herself in the backseat of a limousine with Leia and a stern-faced bespectacled man bearing a thick stack of papers.

 

“Sign here,” the man said in a bored voice. “And initial here, here, and here.”

 

“Here’s the timeline,” Leia said as Rey scrawled her name across the forms. “Nationals in six months. Qualifying in four. You’ll need to take a temporary leave of absence from your university, which we’ve included paperwork for…” She raised an eyebrow at Rey for confirmation.

 

Rey took a deep breath and nodded. “And…” she began awkwardly, “…you’re, um, taking care of that, right?”

 

“Already paid in full. Rent and utilities paid in advance both at your apartment and a fully-furnished unit just down the street from the practice rink.”

 

“Seriously? Finn and I looked around there back in freshman year — unless something’s changed, the rents are insane at that complex.”

 

Leia waved off her incredulous stare. “Not a problem. Believe me when I say these provisions are the least I can do.”

 

The bespectacled man handed her a bank card after Rey finished signing the last form. “Discretionary account,” he said. “Currently set at $3k a month, with negotiable increases as needed.”

 

Leia cast an appraising gaze at Rey’s paling form. “Rey? Are you all right?”

 

Rey nodded weakly.

 

She felt faint.

 

And she hadn’t even attempted her first skating jump yet.

 

\---

 

Two steps into the rink, and Rey’s breath caught as a wave of nostalgia crashed over her: the smell of ice and ozone, the blue-white cast of fluorescent lights, the smooth, crisp sound of blades cutting into fresh ice.

 

Rey froze at rinkside even as Leia continued walking ahead. There, skating laps around the freshly-resurfaced rink, was Kylo Ren.

 

He seemed to have gotten even larger since she’d last seen him, staggeringly broad and towering-tall on his skates. While most figure skaters she’d known and seen skating in the Olympics seemed small and willowy, even the men, Kylo was huge, biceps bulging under the short sleeves of his shirt, broad-chested and sturdy.

 

His skating style seemed in line with his broadness — rather than flowing across the ice, all fluid lines and graceful movement, Kylo seemed to attack it, eyes narrowed, skates digging in, turns sharp and angry.

 

Rey watched in rapt fascination as he suddenly turned backwards, launching into the air and rotating, landing easily on his right foot. It was astonishing to see such a giant of a man achieve such a flawless jump, but Kylo immediately began cursing, running an impatient hand through his hair.

 

“Nice salchow,” Leia said primly from ahead of Rey, her voice echoing through the empty rink.

 

“Thanks,” Kylo growled, not looking at her as he slammed his right toe pick into the ice.

 

“You bent your free leg during entry,” Leia said. She crossed her arms over her chest. “You know better.”

 

“Thanks for the advice.” Kylo’s voice was sardonic, his gaze dark as he noticed Rey still standing awkwardly at the periphery of the rink. “Who’s that?”

 

Leia seemed unmoved by the harshness of her son’s tone, and signaled Rey over. “I told you I was coming to apologize, didn’t I? For whatever slights you think I caused you.”

 

“Nice apology so far,” Kylo bit out.

 

“Mm.” Leia patted Rey’s hand as the younger woman joined her on the ice, avoiding Kylo’s darkly-appraising gaze. “Meet my apology. B—Kylo, this is Rey. Your new partner.”

 

Kylo stared at her for a long moment before turning his attention to Rey. “…I’ve seen you before,” he said finally. “Where have you competed?”

 

“…Coruscant. The university,” Rey said, not meeting his eyes. Taking a deep breath, she said, “I was three-time all-state. Skated with the Ice Warriors.”

 

Kylo’s gaze seemed to burn into her, taking in the faded, oversized hockey jersey, the torn workout pants.

 

Suddenly, he turned sharply to his mother, skates digging into the ice. “You brought me a hockey player.”

 

“Kylo—“

 

“Are you _fucking kidding me_?”

 

Leia narrowed her eyes and drew herself up to her full height, and Rey found herself suddenly more terrified of the diminutive woman beside her than the towering giant on skates. “I gave you life, son,” Leia said flatly. “And I can take it away.”

 

Rey’s eyes widened as Kylo's demeanor seemed to soften slightly, and he ducked his head. “You said you were coming to apologize,” he grumbled, crossing his arms.

 

Rey rolled her eyes, somewhere between disbelief and disgust.

 

“And when you apologize for not speaking to me for six years, maybe we can talk.” Leia clasped her hand around Rey’s forearm. “This _is_ my apology: finding you a partner who agreed to put up with your petulant bullshit and get you back to Nationals.”

 

Kylo leveled her with an incredulous look, hair falling into his eyes. “Can she even skate?”

 

Rey huffed, taking a step forward. “I’m sorry, what do you think we do in hockey: teleport up the ice?”

 

Kylo leaned forward, eyes dark as they bored into hers. “Difference between a salchow and a lutz: go.”

 

“Number of syllables?” Rey asked, voice sarcastic and eyes challenging as she raised up on her toes.

 

“I knew I recognized you: you’re that hockey brat who was here a few months back, weren’t you?”

 

“You mean when your last partner ditched you?”

 

“That’s _enough_.” Leia forcibly pushed between them, giving Kylo a hard thump to the chest and guiding Rey back to her side.

 

“My coach will never go for it,” Kylo said, grinding his teeth. “No way is he letting a hockey player skate with me.”

 

Rey felt Leia stiffen beside her, the woman’s fingers tightening on Rey’s arm.

 

Kylo’s gaze skimmed over his mother’s tightened posture. “Don’t start.”

 

“I didn’t say anything about your _coach_.” Leia’s voice dripped with disdain, and Kylo scowled.

 

Rey sighed, carefully disentangling herself from Leia’s grasp. “I don’t know why you’re so down on hockey players, anyway,” she muttered. “I sure as hell wouldn’t be if I were in figure skating and my dad was Han goddamn Solo.”

 

The rink seemed to go silent except for the soft hum of the air conditioners, and Rey felt her blood turn to ice as Kylo’s gaze darkened and seemed to run her through.

 

He suddenly pivoted, head down, and started to skate off the ice.

 

“Kylo.” Leia’s voice was soft, weary, but it carried across the rink. “You’re out of options. There’s nothing left. You’ve lost Under Armor and Nike. You’ve lost Yuki, Erin, Sophie. You don’t have a choice anymore. Either you try skating with Rey or you can kiss what’s left of that career of yours goodbye.”

 

Kylo paused at the rink’s edge, hands balled into fists at his sides.

 

“Why are you doing this?” he managed, his back to them, voice threaded with exhaustion and desperation all at once.

 

Leia was quiet for a moment, closing her eyes. “….you know why,” she said finally.

 

Rey stared at her curiously before realizing that Kylo was skating back to them, slowly, eyes still narrowed in mistrust.

 

Mother and son stared at each other, not speaking.

 

Finally, Kylo sighed and nodded. Leia reached out her hand hopefully, but he shied away.

 

Leia closed her eyes for a fraction of a heartbeat before straightening. “Right, then,” she said, voice crisp and matter-of-fact, bearing none of the heartache that Rey had seen carved into the lines on her face. “Ideally you’ll start practicing today, but I understand if you need some time to process this and want to start tomorrow.”

 

Kylo sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face. “Does she even have skates?”

 

Leia frowned, glancing at Rey. “…I hadn’t thought about that. You do, don’t you?”

 

“Yeah.” Rey ducked between her and Kylo, retrieving her bag from the nearest rink side bench and looping her skates over her shoulder. Her hand lingered over the left boot, and she glanced at the ice, a heady thrill rising up in her chest. Gods, how she’d missed this. Even within the circumstances, even with Kylo Ren staring at her like she had two heads, she’d missed this. “I can lace up now and we can practice. A bit. You know, if you want to.”

 

Kylo face-palmed as Rey rejoined them on the ice. “Hockey skates,” he mumbled beneath his palm.

 

“Yeah, what’s the difference?”

 

Leia muttered a soft “oh dear” as Kylo rolled his eyes and pointed to the toes of his own skates, the jagged metal. “ _Toe picks_ ,” he emphasized. “For digging in before jumps. Try to take off with those and you’ll be face-down on the ice in two microseconds, kid.”

 

Rey narrowed her eyes. “I’m nobody’s ‘kid’.”

 

“Did you really not know the difference between hockey skates and figure skates?”

 

“Look, I’ll buy her new skates and bring them back this afternoon, all right?” Leia said, waving her hands in concession. She cast an appraising gaze over Rey. “Size 8?”

 

Less than two days and she’d already stopped being unnerved by Leia’s uncanny knowledge of her. Rey nodded.

 

“For today, just… try to get along.” Leia narrowed her eyes at Kylo. “Especially you.”

 

Kylo sighed, furrowing his brow. “I have to get coach here to see if he can start putting her through her paces today, then.”

 

Leia glared at her son, lips drawn into a tight, thin line. “My one condition to this agreement: your ‘coach’ is not getting anywhere near Rey.”

 

“Mom—“

 

“ _Don’t start with me_.” Leia’s voice was raised, angry, harsh, and Rey stared at her, eyes wide as Leia tugged her protectively close. “I won’t let him do to her what he’s done to you.”

 

“Make her successful, you mean?” Kylo bit out. “Powerful? Worthwhile?”

 

Leia’s shoulders were shaking, and she kept Rey close. “I’ve long since stopped trying to make you see sense,” she said quietly, voice thick with old pain. “I won’t send her to Snoke’s slaughter, too.”

 

Leia straightened, shooting Rey an apologetic glance. “You can keep training with him individually if you want. But I’ve hired an old friend to coach the two of you together.”

 

“It had better not be—“

 

“No, _not_ your uncle.” Leia sighed. “I swear, Kylo, you’d think I’ve taken all leave of my senses. It’s hard enough doing this without trying to repair _that_ bridge. Maz Kanata agreed to come out of retirement, just for the next six months.”

 

“Maz Kanata?” Rey asked quizzically.

 

“Crazy old bat,” Kylo muttered.

 

“With more championships than you have years on this earth, so stuff the snide remarks,” Leia shot back.

 

Kylo rolled his eyes but remained silent.

 

Leia pressed her thumbs to the backs of her own eyes, sighing deeply.

 

Rey glanced to the exit doors to the rink, idly wondering just how binding the forms she’d signed were.

 

\---

 

“All right, let’s start with the basics.”

 

Kylo skated out to center ice as Rey watched, her arms braced against the sideboards.

 

They’d stared at each other after Leia had left to track down skates for Rey, not speaking for a solid minute before Kylo had sighed, run a hand through his hair, and agreed to show Rey a few skating moves that didn’t require toe picks.

 

“Pay close attention,” he called over, voice gruff as he extended his arms, bent his left knee and skated slowly forward on his right foot. “Forward chasse.”

 

He glanced down-ice at Rey, whose arms had dropped to her sides, fists clenched.

 

Kylo skated into a soft curve, turning slightly before curving back. “Inside 3 turn. Do you need me to do that one again?”

 

Rey didn’t answer.

 

“And here…” Kylo moved into a two-foot glide, picking up speed before curving his skates inward to come to a slow, easy stop. “Snowplow stop.”

 

He pivoted, raising an eyebrow at Rey’s stock-still form by the boards.

 

“Are we going too fast? We can probably find something even simpler to…”

 

Kylo’s eyes widened as Rey suddenly shot past him, skating hard across the ice. She turned to face him, eyes burning into him and mouth drawn into a tight, angry line as she launched into backwards crossovers, a series of bracket turns, and a camel spin, arms curved tightly towards her body, one leg extended.

 

When she stopped, she glared at him from up the ice. “I learned 3 turns when I _was three,_ you absolute _jackass_ ,” she yelled back.

 

Rey’s shoulders were heaving with exertion, and she narrowed her eyes in anticipation of the sarcastic comment she was sure would shortly arrive.

 

Instead, Kylo just stared at her, mouth agape, something inscrutable in his eyes.

 

“What?” Rey ground out.

 

The look in his eyes disappeared, and Kylo crossed his arms over his chest, features settling into familiar arrogance and derision. “Nice moves for a sixth-grader,” he retorted. “Now do a double axel.”

 

“Ahh, Leia didn’t tell me I’d be coaching children. Brings me back to the old days. Don’t think I’m taking you for ice cream after practice.”

 

Kylo sighed, dropping his head into his hands as a tiny, wizened old woman appeared rink-side, leaning heavily against a cane. Her glasses were huge and Coke-bottle thick, her hair thin and wispy; her large overcoat seemed to engulf the entirety of her small body.

 

The woman stepped onto the ice, casting an appraising glance at Kylo. “Hmph. ‘Kylo Ren’. That’s what we’re calling you now, are we?” She tsked and tapped his knee with her cane. “Didn’t remember you asking for some fancy name when you were crying for your mother in peewees.”

 

Kylo glowered at her, but Maz seemed unconcerned, adjusting her glasses and tapping her way down the ice to Rey.

 

“…is it safe for you to be on the ice with that?” Rey asked carefully, gesturing to the old woman’s cane.

 

Maz laughed, a deep, gravelly sound. “Child, I’ve been on this ice since before your mother was born. Probably even your grandmother. This stick isn’t going to take me down on it.” She cupped a hand to her chin, _hmm_ -ing as she slowly circled Rey. “So you’re the poor bastard Leia suckered into this whole thing, eh?”

 

“I’m…”

 

“I was talking to myself.” Maz quirked an eyebrow at her and grinned. “But ah, she’s a good woman, that Leia. Wouldn’t do this for anyone but her.” She paused. “Maybe the husband. On a good day. If I was feeling generous.”

 

Rey smiled despite herself. It faded as she noticed Kylo’s dark look from down ice, and she sighed. “Look, I’ll be honest with you,” Rey said quietly. “Kylo is _really_ not happy that I’m here.”

 

“And I’m sure he’s not happy that I’m here, either. He’s not happy if anyone’s here. Not happy in general, that boy. But we’ll make do.”

 

“I… I mean, my background’s in hockey. Not so much figure skating.”

 

“Mm, Leia told me.” Maz raised her glasses and cast an appraising glance over Rey’s form. “So you’ve got grit, heart, determination. All you need. Everything else is just practice. _Kylo!”_ Rey jumped as Maz suddenly yelled, pointing her cane to him and then back to the ice where she and Rey stood. “Get your sulking self down here and let’s get to work.”

 

\---

 

Maz settled in on the bench Rey and Kylo hauled onto the ice for her, grumbling as she sat down. “Are these things getting more uncomfortable or am I just getting older?” she groused.

 

“Both,” Kylo muttered under his breath. He turned to Rey. “New skates fit okay?”

 

“Yeah.” Rey frowned as she gently tapped the ice with her new toe picks. Leia had stopped by long enough to hand her a pair of beautiful pure-white skates, shooting a pained glance towards her son and leaving before he could notice her. Rey had watched her go, then glanced back to Kylo, wondering just how deep the family drama in which she’d become entangled ran.

 

“All right,” Maz’s crisp voice cut into Rey’s reverie. “Let’s see what the two of you can do. Hand-hip hold. Go.”

 

Rey froze as Kylo skated to her side, curved one hand around her hip and took her hand with the other. He attempted to tug her backwards, frowning as Rey pulled violently from his grasp.

 

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

 

Kylo stared at her incredulously. “’Hand-hip hold,’” he repeated, pointing to Maz. “What, do you think starting with a waist hold will be easier?”

 

“At what point did I say you could touch me?!”

 

Kylo threw his hands up in the air, glaring at her. “Sorry, I forgot, I’m supposed to _levitate_ you into your lifts.”

 

“ _Children_ ,” Maz sighed in exasperation. She stood, leaning on her cane and assessing them with a hard stare behind her glasses. “Laps. Now. _You_.” She pointed at Kylo. “Basic step sequence. Hand-hip. Go _slow_ , and don’t get cute.”

 

Kylo grimaced before gingerly placing his hands back to their original position, even as Rey leaned away from him and tried to touch him as little as possible.

 

“For fuck’s sake, Rey, I’m not going to bite you,” he ground out.

 

“I didn’t realize there was so much touching involved,” Rey muttered.

 

“Wait until we get into lifts. Are you ready?”

 

“No,” she said. “But go anyway.”

 

It was one of the most awkward things she’d ever experienced — in hockey, skating in close quarters was violent; it meant throwing checks and shoulders, hooks and trips and slashes. But Kylo kept her in as light a hold as humanly possible, barely touching her as they slowly, _very_ slowly, skated to one end of the rink and back.

 

“Your timing is terrible and you look like two frightened kids at an elementary school dance,” Maz said bluntly as they skated to a stop in front of her.  “Never got past the whole ‘girls have cooties’ phase, Kylo?”

 

“She’s the one who’s being a baby about it,” Kylo ground out. “I don’t know how you expect me to work with a partner who can’t seem to get her head around the fundamentalsof pairs skating, namely  _I have to touch you_ ,” he said to Rey, exasperated.

 

Maz sighed, taking off her glasses and sitting them on the bench next to her. “Side-by-side,” she said, meaningfully. “Rey, can you do a camel spin?”

 

“That one I can do.”

 

“Then go. Kylo, lead.”

 

They skated to center ice, heads down, fists clenched. “Let me guess,” Kylo muttered to Rey as they moved side-by-side. “My mother’s paying you some exorbitant amount for this.”

 

“None of your business,” Rey spat at him.

 

“Non-disclosure agreement?”

 

“No. She just didn’t want to hurt your feelings.”

 

“More or less than 100K?” he asked evenly. Before Rey could answer, he counted off: “3, 2, 1, and…”

 

Rey scrambled into a spin beside him. His rotations were slow, steady, and she tried to match her timing to his.

 

“Better!” Maz called from down-ice. “Again!”

 

“Lots of moving parts,” Rey muttered back. “Hard to tell. Does it bother you?”

 

Kylo shot her an incredulous look, shaking his head before pivoting and skating ahead.

 

Rey bit her tongue and followed.

 

\---

 

**ONE WEEK LATER**

\---

 

“All right,” Maz said, hauling out a binder from the canvas tote at her side and opening it on the table in the rink’s back office. “Here’s the choreo I have in mind for your exhibition skate.”

 

“Our _exhibition skate_?” Kylo asked in stark disbelief. He leaned his elbows against the table, barely glancing at the list of moves in front of him. “We haven’t even gotten Rey to do a single axel yet and you’re trying to take her into exhibition? There’s no way she’s ready. When is it?”

 

“A month,” Maz said easily, slipping her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

 

“Not a chance in hell.”

 

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, _partner_ ,” Rey remarked, leaning back in her chair.

 

“It’s not a vote of confidence, it’s fact,” Kylo said flatly. “You’re not ready, and we’ll both look like idiots if we try it.”

 

“Kylo, come here.” When he leaned closer, Maz smacked him on the back of the head, unmoved as he cursed under his breath. “This is a _PR move._ In which, frankly, you can use all the help you can get. A week from now, we issue a press release introducing Kylo Ren’s new skating partner, generate a ton of buzz, and voila!” Maz gestured widely. “We get to prove what we’re made of, the public gets to see Rey in action, and you make headlines for something other than one of your ill-advised decisions.”

 

“So I make it for one of my mother’s instead.”

 

“Exactly. See, you’re learning.”

 

Kylo shot Maz an annoyed glare before turning to Rey. “Do you honestly think you’ll be ready to skate publicly in a month?” he asked her, gaze appraising and doubtful.

 

Rey bit the inside of her lip, looking down at the complicated-sounding list of moves in front of them. “…not really,” she admitted. “But… I’ll try my best. It can’t be that hard.”

 

“How many axels have you landed, again? Remind me.”

 

“One.”

 

“One- _half_. It doesn’t count if you fall on the landing.”

 

Rey suddenly pushed back from the table and stood, glaring down at Kylo. “You know what,” she said in a dark voice, “I’m getting really sick of this. I came in here as a favor, and you can’t get over yourself and your ego long enough to stop belittling me every chance you get. I’d love to see you in a hockey game, you know that? So I could circle you and ask you how many goals do you have, _Kylo_ , how many turnovers…”

 

“…and that brings us to our choreography,” Maz said, pointedly drawing Rey and Kylo’s attention back to the paper in front of them. “Now, most pairs skating is fluid. Beautiful. You have two people who have a lovely working relationship and can translate that into lovely moves.”

 

Maz afforded the two of them a flat stare over her glasses. “Unfortunately,” she said in a disaffected voice, “I have the two of you. So we’re going to do something a little different.”

 

Kylo raised an eyebrow at her as he started to read the elements of the routine. “…this isn’t a program,” he said after a long moment. “This is a _battle_.”

 

“Exactly,” Maz said. There was a glint of impish delight in her eyes. “Aggressive skating. Face-to-face holds. As many rotations as we can fit into your spin and twist lifts. Who knows? Maybe it’ll help the two of you get it out of your system. Maybe you’ll kill each other. Either way, my life gets a lot easier.”

 

Rey peered over Kylo’s shoulder, frowning a little. “…I don’t know what half of those terms mean,” she admitted, biting her lip.

 

“No kidding,” Kylo muttered. “We have a _lot_ of work to do.”

 

\---

**ONE WEEK LATER**

**\---**

**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**

**Asher & Asher Representation **

**_Kylo Ren Partners with Rey Kenobi for 2017 Competition Season_ **

After a long search for a fitting partner suitable to his skating style, Kylo Ren is pleased to announce his partnership with newcomer Rey Kenobi for this year’s US Figure Skating competition season. Kenobi boasts 15 years of skating experience and brings a fresh perspective to the world of figure skating. Currently a junior at Coruscant University, the fiery 21-year-old Jakku native and Ren have already established extensive chemistry on the ice. Coaches have reported an intriguing rapport between the two skaters that they are confident will lead to an award-winning season.

 

\---

 

“I _know_ your hand wasn’t supposed to go that low on that hold, Kylo!”

 

“Please, if I wanted to feel up some skinny combative brat, I’d go back to college.”

 

Rey huffed and skated away from his grasp, wincing as she rolled out her shoulders. “God, I’m sore. I didn’t realize there was so much stretching involved with this stuff.” She glanced to the now-empty bench at rinkside. “Wait, where’s Maz?”

 

“She left about fifteen minutes ago. Said we could keep practicing or call it a night,” Kylo said distractedly, tugging on one of his gloves.

 

“…oh.” Rey did a few simple turns, avoiding Kylo’s gaze.

 

They’d never been alone before, and the rink suddenly seemed so much smaller than usual.

 

“What do you want to do?” he asked, skating closer to her.

 

Rey instinctively skated back.

 

Kylo frowned but remained rooted in place. “Look,” he said after a moment, “why don’t you take off? I’m scheduled for practice with my coach in an hour so I should probably rest a bit beforehand. He doesn’t go easy, even after a day of pairs practice."

 

 _His coach_. Rey frowned a little, remembering Leia’s reaction to the mentions of him on their first day together. “…your mother doesn’t like him much,” she said. “Your coach, I mean.”

 

Kylo stared at her, something dark in his eyes. “My mother doesn’t understand his methods. Everything I am as a skater, I owe to Snoke.” He clenched his gloved hands into fists, staring into the middle distance. “They wanted me to just be a part of the family legacy,” he murmured, and Rey unconsciously skated closer to hear him. “Snoke saw more than that. He saw the power I could bring to competition, how far I could go. He encouraged that when no one else did. When _they_ didn’t.”

 

Rey’s brow furrowed in confusion as she skated closer. “Who’s ‘they’? Your mother adores you. Do you think she would have found me and brought me here if she didn’t?”

 

Kylo whipped around to face her, and Rey stumbled back at the sheer darkness of his gaze. “You don’t understand,” he bit out. “You don’t understand it anymore than she ever did.”

 

Before she could even protest, Kylo stormed past her, angrily ripping his skates off rinkside and heading for the locker room.

 

Leaving Rey standing at the boards, utterly bewildered, staring after him.

 

A deep sigh suddenly sounded from the far end of the rink, and Rey turned to see a grey-haired man in a heavy coat also staring in the direction Kylo had stormed towards, shaking his head a little.

 

Rey frowned, skating over to the man. “Hey,” she said shortly, “this is a private practice.”

 

“I know.”

 

“If you’re here for money…”

 

To Rey’s surprise, the man laughed, gazing at her with soft blue eyes, deep crows feet at the corners. “I’m doing all right, but thank you.” He cocked his head towards the locker room. “Glad to see my nephew’s social skills haven’t deteriorated since I stopped coaching him.”

 

Rey’s eyes widened in recognition. “You’re _Luke Skywalker_.”

 

The man laughed again. “I’m afraid so.”

 

“You’re… I mean, you _were_ one of the best skaters of the 1980s. Even _I’ve_ heard of you.”

 

“Well, thank you.” He smiled at her. “Haven’t really done much since those days, though. Tried to keep a low profile, especially after everything that happened with Ben. _Kylo_ ,” he corrected himself.

 

“You were his coach, weren’t you,” Rey said quietly. “Before… the other one came in.”

 

A dark look crossed Luke’s face, and he nodded. “And you’re Rey Kenobi, his new partner, right? I saw the press release.”

 

“You mean the press release that was mostly lies? Yes, that’s me.”

 

“That’s all press releases, really. It didn’t mention anything about who’s training you.”

 

“Maz Kanata.”

 

“Maz is working with you in pairs. Snoke…” He frowned. “…is working with Kylo. Who’s coaching you?”

 

Rey hesitated, glancing down at her skates, back to the rink. “…nobody, I guess.”

 

Luke was quiet for a long moment.

 

Then:

 

“I think we could both use a cup of coffee.”

 

\---

 

“It started six years ago.”

 

Rey sipped carefully at her latte as Luke tore open a packet of sugar and stirred it into his mug. “We’d already been fighting a lot by then. He wanted to go faster, skate harder. I wanted him to refine the moves he’d already been close to mastering. He had so much raw talent — a frightening amount, really — but, well, it was hard for him to get out of the shadow of his parents.” Luke shrugged, taking a long draught from his coffee.

 

“Did they support him?” Rey asked. There were two croissants in front of them, untouched. Neither of them seemed to have much of an appetite.

 

Luke hesitated, setting his mug down with a gentle ‘clink’. “Leia did,” he said finally. “Han… wanted to. But it was hard for him. He’d never really wanted kids, but he came around to it a little once Ben was born and he got used to the idea of having a son. But when Ben went with figure skating instead of hockey like Han had wanted him to… things fractured.”

 

“Leia told me he didn’t even go to his father’s funeral.”

 

“Oh, things were long broken by that point. Once things between him and Han started fracturing — this was was Ben was 14, maybe 15 — Leia sent him to live with me. Figured I could coach him, teach him right.” Luke sighed. “I failed.”

 

“He won three Nationals titles in a row, didn’t he? Two-time champion at Worlds, gold in Olympic singles back in 2010. I wouldn’t exactly call that ‘failing’.”

 

Luke crooked a smile at her. “Been reading up on him?”

 

Rey flushed a little, downing another mouthful of latte. “For better or worse, he’s my partner in this thing. I wanted to know a little more about him.”

 

“Yeah, well, start with the tabloids,” Luke sighed. “He’s always had poor impulse control. A streak of low self-esteem. Snoke saw that and preyed on it. That’s when we lost him.”

 

Rey worried her lower lip between her teeth. “Leia told Kylo that I wasn’t allowed to work with Snoke under any circumstances.”

 

Luke nodded. “Leia’s smart. She knows Snoke’s reputation. We both do. Man has a sadistic streak a mile long. He’s only in it for the power and prestige, the money. He’ll grind his skaters into dust and bleed them dry, then toss them when they can’t compete and are of no use to him anymore. I’ve heard of him making players skate through severe injuries — calls it ‘character building’. There were rumors back in the day that one of his trainees ended up paralyzed. Only rumors, but I wouldn’t be surprised.”

 

Rey stared at him, aghast. “And Kylo still trains with him?”

 

Luke was silent, adding another packet of sugar to his coffee. “I don’t think he knows a way out anymore.”

 

He looked up at Rey, brow furrowed as if suddenly remembering she was there. “…anyway. I didn’t bring you here to air a bunch of family dirty laundry. I wanted to make you an offer.”

 

“…after your sister’s, I’ve become a bit wary of offers…”

 

“Understandably. Leia isn’t great at taking ‘no’ for an answer once she has a plan in mind.” Luke grinned at her, and there was a youthful spark in his eye. “Here’s the deal: Maz tells me that you’re adapting well to the whole skating switch, but that you could still use some one-on-one. Leia’d hoped that she could do it, but the Senate’s back in-session and she has two bills in committee that she’s watching like a hawk.”

 

Luke leaned back in the booth and gestured to himself. “I’m more than a little out of practice, and I don’t know as much about women’s skating as my sister does, but we can probably get you to a place where you can skate in exhibition without too many problems.”

 

Rey stared at him. “…are you offering to coach me?”

 

“Just on a trial basis. You don’t have to say yes, you can keep working with Maz if that’s more comfortable for you…”

 

“Let me get this straight,” Rey repeated, shaking her head and setting down her latte. “You, _Luke Skywalker_ , Olympic gold medalist in figure skating, are offering to coach me.”

 

“Well… yes.”

 

“Then... yes,” Rey grinned.

 

\---

**TWO WEEKS LATER**

\---

 

“Ready? _Go._ ”

 

Kylo quickly skated back to center ice after queueing up their music (Maz, in keeping with the ‘battle’ theme of their choreography, had chosen Verdi’s _Dies Irae_. Rey, for her part, was grateful that Kylo kept the “so the world really _is_ ending” comments to a minimum).

 

Rey was exhausted down to her bones but grit her teeth and moved through the routine with Kylo. She’d been practicing seven days a week — pairs sessions with Kylo in the mornings, solo practice with Luke in the evenings at a different rink two towns over. She’d started making use of the furnished apartment Leia had leased, just to be able to keep her eyes open at morning practice.

 

“You’re getting better,” Kylo noted as they skated side-by-side in their midline step sequence. Maz had incorporated soft, smooth turns, Chocktaws and Mohawks, but Kylo’s aggressive skating style and the bombastic backing music gave them a sharp steel and hardness that left the turns feeling more predatory than anything.

 

Rey thought she saw a hint of a smile cross Kylo’s features as they transitioned into a hard waist hold, skating face-to-face. “Ready?”

 

Rey grimaced. “I hate this part.”

 

“And…”

 

She held her breath as Kylo lifted her effortlessly over his head, one-handed, and Rey’s pulse thundered as she tried not to look down, bracing one hand in a death-grip against his shoulder.

 

“Hold your legs further apart next time,” he said to her as he brought her down. “They need to stay in a sharp V.”

 

“Noted, professor.”

 

Kylo _did_ smile then, and Rey nearly tripped over her skates but recovered in time to transition into their spiral sequence. They moved into the paired Arabesque, Kylo’s hand resting over her abdomen as they spun, and it was still so awkward to be so close to someone, but it was getting easier, somehow.

 

“Throw jump next,” Kylo said as he moved her into position for catchfoot.

 

“Oh God... okay. Let’s do it.”

 

“Just a double, remember. We’ll work up to a triple.”

 

“ _I know_.”

 

The music swelled, and Kylo wrapped his arms around her and _threw_.

 

Rey wasn’t sure she’d ever get used to how long jumps seemed to last in her mind, almost as if they were in slow motion, even though she knew outside they occurred in a second or less. She tucked her hands close, counted rotations — one, two, _three_ — and _landed_ , right foot steady, left leg extended behind her, arms out.

 

Kylo stared at her in open awe before cursing and rushing to get back into position.

 

By the time the routine was finished, Kylo was shaking his head, skating over to turn off the music, glancing back at Rey over his shoulder.

 

“Not bad,” he said finally. “But you still need a teacher.”

 

“Oh, do I?” Rey grinned at him as he skated back to her. “I seem to be doing just fine for a… what was it you called me that first week? ‘Neanderthal on skates’?”

 

“That was before I saw you execute a Biellmann.”

 

“Ah, is that what it took?”

 

“Apparently.” Kylo was smiling again, closer than before, and Rey felt her heart beat faster.

 

“Rey…” Kylo started.

 

His smile disappeared, replaced by a look of pure, dark fury as he looked past Rey to the rink’s entrance.

 

Luke was standing there, coffee in hand, raising an eyebrow at his nephew’s trembling fury. “Ben,” he said mildly, raising his coffee in salute.

 

“ _Get out_.” Kylo spat between clenched teeth. “ _Now_.”

 

“ _Kylo_.” Rey said, narrowing her eyes and tugging him back as he started to stalk over to his uncle. “Look…” she started, sighing. “Luke has been training me. On my own.”

 

Kylo looked at her in stark disbelief, eyes dark, something that looked strangely like betrayal within their depths. “You’ve been working with _him_?”

 

“I offered,” Luke said, stepping onto the ice.

 

“This has _nothing_ to do with you, you son-of-a-bitch.”

 

“She needed to practice. Needed to learn.” He gestured to Rey. “I watched your practice, you know. Tell me you can’t notice a difference. She’s confident. She never would have had that with you and you know it.”

 

Kylo was seething, hands clenched into fists, but he remained silent.

 

Luke stood straight, unflinching, as he stared down his nephew. “Can she execute a throw jump with you? A double axel? Can the two of you skate in-sync?”

 

“…we can,” Rey answered when it was clear Kylo had no intention of doing so. “That’s what matters.”

 

She attempted to place a hand on Kylo’s arm, but he rebuffed her, not meeting her gaze.

 

Luke sighed, running a hand over his face. “I’ll see you tonight for practice, Rey,” he said. He glanced back to Kylo. “And it was… good seeing you, Ben.”

 

“Kylo,” he ground out. “Everyone else has accepted it. What will it take for you to?”

 

Luke observed him for a long moment before shaking his head and departing the ice.

 

Rey watched him go, wringing her hands together and staring up at Kylo. His rage seemed to have depleted him somehow, and he seemed gray-faced, tired. “…do you want to call it a day?” she asked carefully.

 

Kylo turned roughly from her, skating back to rinkside and queuing up the music again. “You need all the help you can get,” he said in a gruff voice. “Go.”

 

Rey narrowed her eyes at him, and they glared at each other as their battle resumed.

 

\---

**ONE WEEK LATER**

**\---**

**REPORT**

**Olivet Regional Hospital – Emergency Intake**

**Attending: Dr. Harter Kalonia**

29-year-old male admitted with facial laceration (length: 8cm; depth: 0.25cm) incurred during figure skating incident. During a skating routine, patient’s partner made accidental contact with her skate blade to patient’s right suborbital ridge and cheek. Moderate bleeding. No other symptoms, no loss of sensation related to the injury, no symptoms of vascular compromise. Closure performed with 53 6-0 nonabsorbable sutures (removal advised in 3-5 days). Good cosmetic results. Percocet 7.5/325mg administered for pain. Local wound care discussed. Observe for signs of infection, bleeding, and follow up promptly if these symptoms occur.

 

\---

 

Kylo stared blankly at the ceiling, counting the dots on the tile. He was at 77 when a soft voice sounded from the door to his room.

 

“Hey.”

 

He ignored it. 78… 79…

 

“I brought you coffee. Two milks, two sugars. Heard that’s how you like it.”

 

Rey sat the coffee down on his tray before sitting heavily in the plastic chair at his bedside, frowning a little at the beeping machine beside him. “How long has it been doing that?”

 

“I don’t know — how long have I been here?” The words came out harsher than he’d intended.

 

“Three hours and counting. Your mother called; she’s in North Dakota but sends her love.”

 

“What the hell is in North Dakota?”

 

“Pipeline protests, apparently.”

 

“Oh.”

 

There was silence between them for a long moment.

 

“You know,” Kylo said tersely, gesturing to the bandages on his face, “if I’d known you were going to try to kill me, I would have been a little nicer to you when this whole thing started.”

 

“You should have been nicer to me anyway,” Rey said in a bland voice, idly thumbing through her phone. “And you’re not dying.”

 

Kylo winced and pushed up onto his elbows, leveling her with a flat stare. “Thanks for the apology.”

 

“I’ve apologized to you at least six times now. It was an accident. We misjudged the distance and got too close for the side-by-side camel spins. _Both_ of us.”

 

He huffed and flopped back onto his pillow.

 

“On a brighter note, apparently some blogger has already posted a review of tonight’s exhibition. Want to hear?”

 

“Sure.”

 

“Okay, here goes.” Rey pinched the screen of her phone between thumb and forefinger, enlarging the text before starting to read. “’More _paso doble_ than waltz, Kylo Ren’s first program with new partner Rey Kenobi carried the same hard-edged aggression we’re used to seeing with Ren’s skating, but with the added treat of seeing a skater who can hold their own in pairs with him. Newcomer Kenobi is an intriguing performer: unpolished, with room for improvement (we noted a few failed rotations and step-outs), but with a hard-nosed style that seems the perfect match for Ren’s unorthodox skating. Kylo Ren is known for the way he doesn’t work with the ice so much as attack it, and in Kenobi, skating’s most infamous figure seems to have found a partner who’s more than a match for him.’”

 

“…huh.”

 

“Wow. That’s almost glowing praise, considering. Someone actually being a match for you.” Rey grinned at him, smile fading as he began to laugh, darkly, humorlessly. “What?”

 

“It’s just funny,” he said, picking at a stray thread on his hospital blanket, “when you think about it. My mother spent, what, thousands? Hundreds of thousands of dollars? Whatever, _paying_ an exorbitant amount to find me a partner who could revive my career, and what happens? She gets the good press. I get a skate to the face.”

 

Rey sighed angrily, tossing her phone onto the seat beside her. “Are you quite done feeling sorry for yourself, or do you need more time?”

 

Kylo leveled her with a dark gaze, shaking his head in disbelief. “You have no idea what it feels like," he muttered. "To struggle for everything, to feel empty all the time, to push and struggle and bleed and try for greatness only to have it slip past you every damn time.”

 

Rey rose to her feet, teeth bared as she angrily grasped the bars of Kylo’s hospital bed. "You spoiled brat. You come from sports  _royalty,_ you have more money than you know what to do with and a shelf of awards, and you're telling me _I_ don't know what it feels like to struggle?” she hissed at him, bringing her face close to his bandaged one. “ _No one_ wanted me. You think I was never lonely? You think I never wanted for anything? My mother left me in a room like this as soon as I was born. I spent my life in foster homes until I finally aged out and worked three jobs to pay for college. Don’t you _dare_ act like you’ve had it so much harder.”

 

“You think I don’t see you suffering?” Kylo bit out, raising back up onto his elbows even as Rey took a step back. “You still doubt every single move you make on the ice. You’re exhausted during morning practice. I know you don't sleep well." He drew closer to her, eyes blazing beside his bandages. "What nightmares do you have, Rey?" he said, very softly. "Maybe ours are the same."

 

“I know what your nightmares are,” Rey said, shoulders trembling with rage. “That you’re irrelevant, that you’re worthless, that you’ll never be as strong as the expectations that you’ve had laid upon you, and for some reason you’re too damn stupid or too damn _stubborn_ to realize that none of them are true.”

 

Breathing hard, she collapsed back into her chair, avoiding Kylo’s gaze, ignoring the quickening beep of his bedside monitor.

 

“You have so much more than you think you do,” she said after a long moment. “If you’d just _listen_.”

 

She retrieved her phone from the seat next to her, keying in her passcode and reading, very quietly:

 

“’…but the most remarkable note from tonight’s program — other than a gnarly injury to Kylo Ren’s pretty boy features at the end of Kenobi’s right skate; kudos to Ren for finishing the program bloodied — was Ren himself. The off-ice scandals seemed to have gotten to him over the past few years, and the once-storied skater turned in a series of abysmal performances in exhibition and competition well into last year. Tonight, we saw glimpses of the old Ren, the combative presence who landed a quadruple salchow without breaking a sweat during the 2009 Nationals. There were a few missteps in his performance — it’s clear Ren still has some demons to fight — but this is the closest he’s come to ‘fighting shape’ in a long, long time.’”

 

Rey paused before finishing: “’…and all it took was a skate to the head.’”

 

Kylo was staring at her, something inscrutable in his eyes — not familiar darkness or rage... closer to the way he’d looked at her when she first landed a double axel, the first time they’d executed a throw jump together.

 

“…so really, you should be thanking me,” Rey concluded, locking her phone and setting it to the side, folding her hands over her knee.

 

Kylo groaned and laid his pillow over his face.

 

Then, very quietly, muffled:

 

“…thank you.”

 

“Careful, Kylo, we don’t want you to injure yourself.”

 

“I’m in a hospital full of painkillers. It’s a calculated risk.”

 

Rey rolled her eyes and smiled, scooting her chair closer to his bedside.

 

When their hands brushed, just a little, she didn’t pull away.

 

\---

 

**atwistofarabesque:**

So, what do we think of Kylo Ren’s new partner? We had the press release awhile back but now that we’ve seen them in action: yea or nay?

**skatesandscowls:**

negl it was nice to see someone giving it back to him – his old partners were always trying to keep pace with that aggressive style. kenobi curbstomped him *hearteyes*

**kylorensleftskate:**

I HOPE HIS FACE IS OKAY

**lutzesfordays:**

did you see how worried rey looked when kylo was bleeding?? do we think there’s something there? *waggly eyebrows*

**biellmannsurprise:**

omg guys don’t ship real people, it’s gross

**lutzesfordays:**

sorry, sorry! I just think they’d be really cute together

**skatesandscowls:**

isn’t kylo still dating maria whatshername? They were spotted outside a nightclub in nyc a few weeks back...

**kylorensleftskate:**

i thought they broke up before he partnered with kenobi? 

 

**rendaily:**

Mod Q here: just to be clear, we do NOT tolerate discussions or material that speculates on skaters’ personal lives. That’s not what we’re here for. Keep all comments to the actual performances.

 

 

 **[PM] atwistofarabesque:**...so I think I’m actually starting to ship Ren and Kenobi together… don’t hate me.

 **[PM] kylorensleftskate:** omg im right there with you

 **[PM] atwistofarabesque:** We are SO going to hell.


	2. Act II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The music for Kylo & Rey's routine in this chapter is inspired by a piece from the soundtrack of little-known British romance film _A Summer Story_ , entitled ["Love in the Loft"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYCSU6Kqt7E) (starts at 0'00", ends at 1'45"). It's one of the most epic and gorgeous tracks to ever accompany a love scene and heavily influenced my imagined form of their program.

**\---**

**ONE MONTH LATER**

**\---**

“Hey, stranger!”

 

“Hey, Finn.” Rey managed a weak smile at the sound of her friend’s voice on the other end of the line as she popped open the Chinese takeout carton in front of her. “Sorry I’ve been so scarce. We thought hockey practice could be grueling — you should see what Maz and Luke are putting me through. It’s easier to just stay in Leia’s place by the rink since I’m practically living on the ice at this point.”

 

“It’s okay. We’re just glad you’re still texting. And you know all those repairs the super’s been dragging his ass on doing? I don’t know if your Senator lady made a call or what but _everything’s_ in perfect working order. Even the garbage disposal!”

 

“I’m definitely sending Leia a card for Mothers’ Day.”

 

“Card, hell, I’m asking her to adopt me.”

 

Rey laughed, stabbing into her noodles with her chopsticks.

 

“I’d probably be nicer than her _actual_ son,” Finn continued.

 

Rey froze with her chopticks halfway to her mouth.

 

“…how’s that going, anyway?” Finn asked.

 

“…fine." Rey set her chopsticks down and pushed her noodles away with a frown. “He’s… gotten better. _We’ve_ gotten better.”

 

“’We’? There’s a ‘we’ with you two?”

 

“We’re in _pairs_ skating, Finn. By definition, there’s a ‘we’.”

 

“Yeah, but there’s _skating_ we and…” She could only imagine the gestures he was making on the other end of the line. “… _we_.”

 

“Well we don’t have any kind of…” Rey gestured wildly. “… _we_. We’re not really even friends. I mean, friends don't tend to gravely injure each other.”

 

“Yeah, I remember seeing that you cut his face open with your skate. Poe and I watched it on YouTube. It was pretty awesome.”

 

“Oh come on, it was an accident.”

 

“I know, but it was _very_ satisfying after watching all those temper tantrums from the Zamboni."

 

Rey couldn't help but grin, propping her feet up on the sofa.

 

“I’m not gonna lie,” she said. “It was a little satisfying for me, too.”

**\---**

“…I feel like this is supposed to look better by now,” Kylo groused as he and Rey entered the rink, sipping coffee side-by-side, equipment bags on their shoulders.

 

“It doesn’t look as bad as you think it does.” Rey paused, thinking. “Considering you took a skate to the face and all.”

 

“Still looks like hell.” He grimaced and ran his fingers over the scarred tissue diagonally intersecting his brow and cheek.

 

“Well stop touching it and maybe it’ll heal right,” Rey sighed. “And if it bothers you so much, you can always pay to get plastic surgery. I’m sure you have enough money for whatever it would take.”

 

Kylo laughed, short and humorless. “I don’t have as much money as you think I do. Losing those sponsors hit my accounts hard." 

 

“Mm, so hard that you were seen outside a swanky nightclub with a shapely blonde a few months back, neither of which I doubt you could afford if you didn’t have _some_ funds in reserve.” Rey took one last sip of her coffee and quirked a smile at Kylo before tossing the cup in the nearby bin.

 

Kylo gave her an odd stare. “She was just a friend, you know. Maria.”

 

“Since when do you have friends?” There was a flash of annoyance or pain — Rey could never tell with him — across his face, and she quickly amended, “I mean, female friends. That I know of. Everyone has friends. Even you, I'm guessing.”

 

“Yeah, well,” Kylo started, shifting his bag on his shoulder, “this one was a _friend_.” He emphasized the word, raising an eyebrow and smirking. “Warm, friendly, inviting."

 

"...I see." Rey said, nonchalant. 

 

"Very much in the past, though. If you were wondering."

 

“I was not. You’ve had quite a reputation for _friends_ …” She curved her fingers into quotation marks. “…in the past, or so I’ve seen. It's none of my business who you spend your time with as long as you can still skate.”

 

“Yeah, well, you probably won't have to worry about it, anyway.” Kylo shrugged, gesturing to his face. “It's not like I'm going to have anyone throwing themselves at me with this.”

 

Rey rolled her eyes. “One: again, it’s not as bad as you think it is. And two: girls like scars. Or so I’m told.”

 

She hoisted her bag and started to move towards the women’s locker room.

 

Then, from behind her, soft and hesitant:

 

“Do you?”

 

Rey turned, eyebrows raised, to stare at Kylo, who was studiously inspecting the laces of his skates and avoiding her eyes.

 

“…I don’t know,” she said after a moment. “I… I’ve never had a reason to think about it.”

 

She ducked into the locker room before he could clarify what he meant.

 

Her heart was pounding.

 

She didn’t want to clarify that, either.

 

\---

 

“All right, kids,” Maz said gruffly, grasping her cane between her hands as she sat down on her familiar bench. “Qualifying is less than a month from now, so let’s see you take a whack at the new choreo.”

 

“Is this one a lot less… aggressive, or is it just me?” Rey asked, skating to starting position at center ice with Kylo.

 

“It is. It's a lot more... traditional. But it’s a lot harder, too — we’re not just doing an exhibition. This one counts.” He curved his hand around her hip, and she didn’t shy away.

 

“I’m not sure I’m ready for this one,” Rey murmured, glancing back at Maz as the old woman cursed and struggled to queue up their music.

 

“You’ll do fine. Trust me.” Rey’s brow furrowed at the warmth in Kylo's voice, the way his hand seemed to clutch her hip just a little tighter. She ducked her head away from his gaze.

 

The piece Maz had chosen for their short program skate in competition was a lovely instrumental piece, all soft woodwinds and soaring strings. It was somehow yearning — it made Rey think of a soft country scene, the shy touches and grins of new love.

 

Despite the music’s deceptive gentleness, Maz had layered on the difficulties: side-by-side Biellmanns, upright spins, a triple throw loop, twist lifts, synchronous double axels, even a death spiral.

 

“Don’t worry,” she’d said as Rey balked at the moveset. “We still have a month.”

 

It was becoming increasingly natural to skate at Kylo’s side, at least. Rey followed him into Maz’s tricky serpentine step sequence, all smooth curves and turns, never missing a beat. 

 

The music swelled as his hands found her waist and raised her into the twist lift, catching her easily after the second rotation. Kylo's eyes were dark as he cradled her close, held her as she moved into layback position, and Rey's heart beat faster at the feel of his hands, steady, anchoring, warm even through her skating tights. 

 

It was so… effortless, somehow. They seemed to be breathing in the same rhythm, the music almost a distraction to the way they moved together, sinuous, easy, all graceful, fluid moves, clinging, touching, flowing. 

 

Whereas two months ago Rey had struggled with her toe picks, fought to keep up with Kylo’s practiced spins and jumps, now they moved as two halves of a whole, transitioning from spin to turn, lift to hold as easily as the music flowed one note to the next. 

 

It was as if they had somehow learned to read each other to the point that they could pluck moves, intentions from the other’s mind and chain them into complicated sequences, knowing the other would follow.

 

They exited the double axel at the exact same moment, landed perfectly side-by-side. 

 

Rey was breathing hard as the program entered its second half, all close-quarters skating and intimate holds. There were side-by-side spins that led into carefully-crafted spiral sequences, Kylo's hand splayed warmly against her abdomen, his lips just brushing against her ear at release. There were the skating equivalent of trust falls: carry lifts where Kylo flipped Rey upside down and lifted her onto his shoulders, the death spiral where she clutched his hand and leaned back, parallel to the ice as he spun her. 

 

At every element, they seamlessly came back together, magnetic, breaths synchronized, rapturous. 

 

As the music drew to a close, the last notes fading, they stood at center ice in final position, arms wrapped around each other, clinging, foreheads touching, breathing hard and staring into each other’s eyes, uncomprehending, disbelieving.

 

They didn’t speak. Couldn’t.

 

“…well now,” Maz’s amused voice echoed from down ice, “I don’t know what I need more after that: a cigarette or a new shelf for the trophy you two are going to bring me from Nationals.”

 

Rey and Kylo broke apart as if burned, cheeks flushed, unable to meet the other’s eyes.

 

“I…” Kylo started first, staring at Rey before shaking his head. “I need to… get ready for solo practice tonight.” He turned quickly and skated off the ice, head down, fists clenched.

 

“Kylo!” He moved faster towards the locker room.

 

“Kylo, wait up, damn you!”

 

He sighed, hand braced against the locker room door. “What?” he bit out.

 

Rey took a step back, brow furrowed in confusion. “I… just wanted to know if you wanted to do another pass. I think... I'm pretty sure I over-rotated on that last Y spin.”

 

He gazed at her for a long moment, something dark and inscrutable in his eyes before he closed them, shaking his head again. “I have to get ready for training with Snoke,” he said between clenched teeth. “I can’t.” He slipped into the locker room, slamming the door behind him.

 

Rey stared after him, mind tumbling, heart still pounding from their performance, and entirely unwilling to think about why it hurt to see him go.

 

\---

 

Rey yawned widely, coffee in hand and skates looped over her shoulder as she slotted her key into the front door of the rink. It was a cold night, well past midnight, the moon full and silvered.

 

She’d tried so hard to sleep, but she was just… jumpy, somehow. She’d tossed and turned for three hours in bed, willing her mind to think of anything but that day’s practice, the feel of closeness, of effortlessness, the look in Kylo’s eyes as they clung together at center ice.

 

(Finn would have told her it was sexual frustration. Which is why she hadn’t texted him before heading out to sublimate her _whatever_ through a hard late-night skate.)

 

Rey frowned as she entered the rink — the lights were still on, and she could hear the familiar scrape of blades on ice.

 

Her eyes widened as she saw Kylo skating hard, head down as he hydrobladed, nearly horizontal along the ice. She’d skated with him long enough to read the utter exhaustion through his shoulders, his calves, as he righted himself and moved into a fan spiral. His teeth were gritted tight, face pale, scar livid against his skin.

 

There was an old man on the ice with him, hovering predatorily over him as he skated.

 

The man was keeping pace with him, skating beside him, and she could see his mouth moving.

 

Snoke.

 

Rey set her skates to the side, dropping to her knees and crawling along the boards, out of sight.

 

When she drew close enough, she could hear snippets of speech, a soft, calming voice, grandfatherly.

 

It was at stark odds to the words that it spoke.

 

“You know you deserve this punishment.” Soft, gentle, almost apologetic. “You’ve done this to yourself, allowed this _weakness_. You think you’ve learned strength from this girl? All she’s done is reflect your own frailty and failings back at you. Magnified them.”

 

Rey heard a hard thump to the ice, knew Kylo had fallen to his knees. “I know,” he mumbled, and her heart froze at the dead, defeated sound of his voice.

 

“She’s just using you for her own ambitions. Just like they all did. Follow her and she will lead you into ruin.”

 

“Yes.” That same empty, defeated tone.

 

“Remember: everything you are, everything you have become is from _my doing_. Mine. Let this be a reminder to you, boy, and be grateful that I am a... _forgiving_ man.”

 

Kylo didn’t respond, and Rey pressed up harder against the boards as she heard a slow, steady scrape of skates. She bit her lip so hard it bled as Snoke stepped off the ice, unhurriedly removed his skates and retrieved a pair of moccasins, exiting the rink through the front doors.

 

When she was sure he’d gone, she stumbled to her feet and stormed onto the ice, eyes blazing. “Kylo, what _—_ ”

 

Rey's fury faded into horror as Kylo quickly tugged his shirt down.

 

There was blood across his ribs.

 

“What are you doing here?” he asked, eyes narrowed in anger, stalking over to her.

 

Rey swallowed hard, willed her heartbeat to settle. “Well," she started, "I couldn’t sleep, so I was going to burn off some energy with a midnight skate, but I thought it’d be more interesting to watch my skate partner get _violently abused_ by his coach.” She reached out a hand to him, pulling it back as he flinched away.

 

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kylo said after a long moment, turning his back to her. “What you heard… if you heard anything… it’s not what you think. It’s motivation.”

 

Rey bit back a curse before grabbing his collar and pulling him down to face her. “Then I saw _motivation_ in every single foster home the state put me in,” she hissed. “That’s not what this is. You know it’s not.”

 

“You don’t understand,” Kylo spat, wrenching from her grasp, pushing her away. “You can’t possibly understand what Snoke has given me. The power, the skill, the _discipline.._.”

 

“The open wounds?”

 

Kylo opened his mouth as if trying to speak before looking away from her, his features hard and closed off.

 

He started as Rey grasped his hand in hers and dragged him behind her, off the ice.

 

He let her corral him into the women’s locker room and toss him down onto a bench as she swore and retreated into a darkened back room. When Rey returned, she was clutching a first aid kit in one hand and glaring at him. “Shirt off. Now.”

 

Kylo hesitated.

 

“For God's sake, Kylo, I played co-ed for years. I’ve seen a hundred men with their shirts off. I just want to bandage your stupid self so I can go home,” she ground out.

 

Her eyes widened on a horrified gasp as he slowly drew his shirt over his head.

 

There was an ugly curving gash over his ribs, still bleeding. But there were also scars scattered across his pectorals, his abdomen, his shoulders: dozens of them, deep scores gone white with age, wide, jagged lines, some raised, some still reddened and angry.

 

“…oh my God, Kylo,” Rey began, hands clasped to her mouth. “What… did hedothis to you?”

 

“No,” Kylo said flatly, staring ahead.

 

“…does he make _you_?”

 

He didn’t answer.

 

He jumped as Rey sat beside him, half-turning him so he was facing her. “This is probably going to sting,” she murmured, retrieving a small bottle of isopropyl alcohol from the first aid kit. “Do you need to hold my hand?”

 

Kylo stared at her, eyes dark and inscrutable.

 

“No,” he said.

 

(Rey squeezed his hand back when he did it anyway.)

 

He hissed and closed his eyes as she dabbed at his newest wound one-handed, setting the soiled cotton balls to the side. “Okay, I’m going to need both hands for the next part.”

 

Kylo released her hand reluctantly as she moved forward to sit between his thighs, very close as she looped gauze around his torso. He was so broad-set that she could barely reach all the way around him, and she struggled to pass the roll of gauze from one hand to the next.

 

They were quiet as she worked, the only sound in the locker room the low hum of the fluorescent lights.

 

Then:

 

“It’s weakness,” she heard and felt Kylo say from above her, felt the rumble through his chest as she rested her forehead against it and continued wrapping. “Pairs, my family... you.”

 

Rey passed the gauze from her right hand to her left, taking a deep breath. “Love isn’t weakness, Kylo.”

 

He seemed to go stock-still beneath her hands, and she quickly clarified: “Your family loves you. That’s not weakness, Kylo. I don’t know what that man has told you, but…”

 

Rey’s words died in her throat as Kylo dropped his head forward, resting it against hers.

 

“…I feel like I’m being torn apart,” she heard him whisper. “You don’t… I know what I have to do. What I _want_ to do. And I know I can’t do both. I can't have both.”

 

He clutched Rey’s hand, holding it in his, the last stretch of gauze fluttering to the floor. Rey pulled back far enough for him to rest his forehead against hers. He was breathing hard, shoulders heaving.

 

She couldn’t speak.

 

“Why did you have to ruin everything, Rey?” he asked, voice a harsh whisper.

 

Before she could respond, his hands were cupping her face and he was kissing her.

 

Rey’s eyes were wide, her hands trapped against his broad chest as he kissed her like a drowning man, all clinging bites and slow drags of tongue.

 

Heart pounding, Rey closed her eyes and kissed him back.

 

\---

 

It was like skating side-by-side.

 

Effortless.

 

Her shirt discarded, his mouth sucking hotly at her throat, thumbs playing over the tight beads of her nipples, hands moving round to her back and lifting her to him.

 

Pants and tights peeled down, tossed aside, her back to the bench, hands gripping tight against the wood as he kissed her and palmed her breasts, desperate, crazed, fingers moving to dig bruises into her hips.

 

Her hands tangled in his hair as he pulsed hot and thick against her thigh, foreheads pressed together, soft “oh”s as lifted her up, pressed her back against the lockers and slid inside her.

 

Synchronous, her legs tight around his hips as he kissed her deeply, as they moved in time, locked, lifted, _held._

Kylo came with Rey’s name a desperate, broken cry on his lips, and she followed him easily, so easily, side-by-side.

 

After, he clung to her, his head laid against her breast as she clung to his shoulders. " _Rey_." 

 

“I know,” Rey murmured to him, carded her hands through his sweat-slicked hair. “I know.”

 

\---

 

They disentangled themselves reluctantly some time later, sweat cooling and heartbeats normalizing.

 

Rey didn’t meet Kylo’s gaze as she pulled a towel from her locker, discreetly wiped his spend from between her thighs before dressing.

 

Kylo tugged his pants on, eyes never leaving her. “…that was a mistake,” he said.

 

Rey nodded, straightening her shirt. “We got it out of our system, at least. We were probably both just keyed up from that routine today. It doesn’t mean anything.”

 

Kylo eyed her curiously. “No, I mean…” He grimaced, leaning up against the lockers. “This is… not how I wanted this to go.”

 

Rey stilled in the middle of rearranging the supplies in the first aid kit, slowly looking up at him.

 

“I mean… I’d at least wanted to buy you dinner first. Not just fuck you in the rink locker room.”

 

“Well, when you put it that way…” Rey rolled her eyes.

 

“No, I mean…” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “We’re doing this backwards, but I would... like to ask you to dinner.”

 

“Does it count now?” Rey asked rhetorically, crossing her arms over her chest.

 

Kylo frowned. “I’m not sure. Probably depends on the restaurant.”

 

“I like steak.”

 

“Well then.” He quirked a smile at her, and it was so bizarre, how she’d intended to skate to take her mind off everything with Kylo and here she was with him, knowing too much about his deepest scars, freshly fucked by him and making _dinner plans,_ for God’s sake.

 

Rey thought back to the first night when Leia had suggested her arrangement with Kylo.

 

She was fairly certain this was not what the Senator had in mind.

 

“Rey?” His voice was strangely soft, and she sighed.

 

“Eight o’clock, okay?” she said finally. “Don’t be late.”

 

\----

 

Rey had minimal experience with dating. There had never seemed to be much time for it between hockey practice and classes and friends and work on her truck.

 

But she was still fairly certain that this counted as a not-particularly-fantastic date.

 

At least at first.

 

It had started well enough: Rey had returned to her shared apartment to retrieve the one dress she owned (Finn and Poe both thankfully absent for what would inevitably have been a thorough questioning) and the too-tight heels she’d worn to senior prom and had for some reason held onto through three apartments.

 

Kylo had picked her up in a sleek BMW, looking even broader in a suit than he did in his skating costumes, and it felt odd, not having known what kind of car he drove up until that point, even as she knew the tightness of his jaw as he launched into a salchow, the feel of his hands warm and wide on her bare breasts.

 

She’d coughed, let him open the door for her and crossed her legs.

 

Dinner was at a pretentious bistro downtown, and Rey’s eyes bulged as she skimmed the right side of the menu and looked for something that cost less than a new pair of skates.

 

The wine steward took one look at her twice-discounted bargain rack dress and served Kylo twice before touching her glass.

 

Her feet hurt from her spiked heels, even sitting down.

 

And her filet mignon was overdone.

 

Halfway through dinner, as Rey angrily stabbed at her steak, Kylo reached across the table and stilled her hand.

 

“This place sucks, huh,” he said, inclining his head towards the wine steward still tossing them disdainful glances.

 

“Well, I guess one of us had to say it,” Rey grumbled.

 

“I just went by the Yelp reviews. It was supposed to be a nice place for a first date.”

 

Rey flushed at his open, unflinching use of the term, and resumed stabbing her steak.

 

Kylo sighed, taking her hand again. “Rey. It's dead.”

 

“They gave me well. It’s _very_ dead.”

 

Kylo cursed softly under his breath, reaching into his suit jacket, pulling a few bills from his wallet and tossing them on the table. “Come on.”

 

Rey allowed him to tug her along, the same way he led on some of their skating passes. “Where are we going?”

 

“Somewhere not here,” Kylo said, extracting his keys from his pocket.

 

His voice was soft, eyes dark as he looked to her.

 

“Who knows how many times you’re going to let me do this,” he said quietly. “I’d like to make it count.”

 

Rey swallowed hard at the intense look in his eyes, the way he stared at her like there was something burning just at the tip of his tongue.

 

As they walked back to his car, she held his hand.

 

\---

 

There was a park nearby — the kind Rey had always dreamed of in the meager confines of her foster homes, all rolling, grassy hills, sloped paths, and rushing fountains. The moon was full above them, all silver-white light.

 

Kylo’s hand was warm in hers, his free hand carrying her heels.

 

“I came here a lot when I was a kid,” he said. “I was an only child, didn’t have too many friends, so I’d come to the park and run around until I was tired enough to go home.”

 

“I’d say that’s kind of sad, but I had an imaginary friend until I was ten. I don’t judge.”

 

Kylo flashed her an open, easy smile, and Rey felt herself returning it in full. “Thanks for carrying those, by the way,” she said, pointing to her heels.

 

“No problem. I still don’t understand how people walk in these things.”

 

“I was never any good at it,” Rey admitted. “Especially now that I’m spending almost every waking moment up on skates.”

 

“Did you miss it at all?” Kylo asked, swinging their joined hands gently. “Being away from the ice, I mean.”

 

Rey was quiet for a moment. “…I guess I did,” she said finally. “I didn’t realize it at first. Not until… I mean, I’d never really planned on going back.” She sighed, pulling her hand from Kylo’s and walking to sit at the edge of a nearby fountain. It was cold, and she allowed Kylo to drape his suit jacket over her shoulders, pull her into a loose embrace. “I was never really the adventurous sort. Going from home to home… I just wanted stability. I wanted to stay in one place long enough to make it _mine_. When I got injured, I figured… that was the end of it. Time to move on, again.”

 

She absently toyed with one of the buttons on his dress shirt. “…but I missed it. I missed it more than anything, and I didn’t even realize it until I started skating with you.”

 

“Are you going back to it, then?” Kylo asked, idly stroking her hair. “Hockey, I mean? Nationals aren’t too far away — you should think about going back to your old team afterwards. From what I’ve heard about how you used to play, they’d probably take you back in a heartbeat.”

 

“Are you that desperate to lose me as a partner?”

 

Kylo tugged her head back so he could look at her, a strange look in his eyes. “…I never thought you were staying,” he said after a moment.

 

Rey bit her lip, looking away from his appraising gaze. “I didn’t mean to suggest… I mean, we aren’t going to be… we’re not…”

 

Kylo surprised her by laughing, a low deep rumble as he cupped her cheek in his hand. “It’s okay,” he said quietly. “I’m not very good at this stuff, either.”

 

His nose was cold against her cheek as he kissed her, and Rey brought her hand up to cover the one still cradling her cheek.

 

“We’re getting there, I think,” she whispered against his lips.

 

\---

 

It was all practice, ultimately.

 

They kissed at red lights, passionate, clinging, their hands clasped between the seats.

 

Rey burst into laughter once they reached his apartment complex and he hoisted her into a platter lift, just as deft-handed off-ice as on it, and carried her up three flights of stairs to his condo.

 

She barely had time to take in the décor of the sprawling unit — all tasteful and understated neutrals, a curving sectional sofa, framed medals — before they were on his bed, Kylo’s fingers slipping beneath the shoulder strap of her dress, lips trailing across the side of her neck.

 

“...I want to do this right,” he murmured against her skin. “This time.” He pressed a warm, lingering kiss to her pulse point.

 

“I mean… I thought we did okay. Last time.” Rey shivered as his tongue traced the shell of her ear.

 

Kylo’s eyes were dark and held her whole as he pulled back far enough to undo his tie and tug out of his jacket and dress shirt.

 

He knelt over her bare-chested, hands braced at either side of her head, dipping down just far enough to brush his lips over hers, feather-light.

 

“Hold on tight, sweetheart,” he said, and she could feel the curve of his smirk against her lips.

 

\---

 

Their first encounter had been much like them: rough, inelegant, fierce. Kylo had pressed her up against a row of lockers, clutched at her hips and fucked her, frenzied, desperate, his face turned in against her neck.

 

This… this was different.

 

This was _worshipful._

Kylo kissed her senseless for long minutes, all nipping teeth and soothing swipes of tongue, deft hands easily unzipping her dress and tossing it aside.

 

Rey clung to him as he sucked bruises into her skin, as he palmed her breasts and laved the rosy tips of her nipples with slow drags of tongue that made her toes curl.

 

When he tugged her panties off one-handed, she flushed, tried to pull her knees together even as they settled against either side of his ribs.

 

“Moving too fast?” Kylo murmured. Her lips were stung and kiss-swollen, and she brushed them against his.

 

“I…” Rey started, grasping his shoulders and pulling him down closer, so she could avoid his gaze. “I just haven’t… done this a lot.”

 

“Mm.” One hand stroked lazily at her abdomen while the other rubbed comforting circles over her hip. “We can stop if you want.”

 

“I…” Her flush deepened, and she tilted her hips towards his. “I didn’t… say that.”

 

There was a low rumble deep in his chest, a purr of contentment, and Rey smiled to herself as he kissed her, the hand at her hip moving to cradle her cheek.

 

Rey’s breath seized in her throat as his hand dipped lower, just brushing against the outside of her damp folds. He deepened the kiss, tongue curling along hers as he slid two fingers inside her, crooking them forward, thumb rubbing gently at her clit.

 

Kylo was breathing hard against her, his erection thick against her inner thigh through his dress pants. “Let me take care of you, Rey,” he managed, nudging at her cheek as he began to thrust his fingers in and out of her, slow, lazy. “Please.”

 

Rey could only nod, clutching at his back, hiding her face against his shoulder as his fingers moved faster.

 

“Harder,” she managed.

 

There was a slow inhale beside her ear, a nod as his thumb pressed more firmly against her, as his fingers brushed against that one spot that made her see stars, and she dug her nails into his skin, screamed something unintelligible against his shoulder as she came hard around his fingers.

 

Rey was panting, forehead beaded with sweat as Kylo drew back from her, cursed and fumbled with the button on his pants. “Drawer,” he nodded towards the bedside table. “Towards the back, left side.”

 

Still dizzy from her orgasm, Rey stared at him, uncomprehending. “…huh?”

 

“Already took one chance we shouldn't have,” he managed in a rough voice, tugging out of his pants and boxers and wrapping his hand in a loose hold around his erection. Rey ducked her head at the sight of it, desire already surging back as she pulled open the drawer. A flashlight, pack of matches, and… _ah._ Square foil packet.

 

Kylo took it from her, and she could swear she felt his hand trembling. His eyes never left hers as he rolled on the condom, as he smoothed his hands over her thighs and pulled her close.

 

“How should we…” Rey leaned up on her elbows as Kylo moved to kiss her.

 

He tugged her thighs around his waist, his arms wrapped around her back, and Rey gasped as he slid deeply inside her in one smooth, easy stroke.

 

“Just like this,” he said, voice deep and throaty. He kissed her cheek, trailed kisses along the line of her jaw, and Rey clung to his back as he rolled his hips against hers, thrusting deep and hard.

 

Rey trembled, her breath coming short and sharp. It had been so easy to deny any latent emotion during their locker room tryst — tension running high, exhaustion from practice, the dam bursting after a long, trying day and the revelation of his pain. It was just sex. No more, no less.

 

But this…

 

Kylo pressed his forehead to hers, unwrapping one arm from her back to trail warm fingertips down her throat, cup her breast. His eyes burned into hers, lips just brushing as he dipped his hand between them, just above where they were joined, and began to rub her in time with his thrusts.

 

Rey closed her eyes and surged up to kiss him, tangling her hands in his hair, muffling her cries into his mouth as she came again, pressing close as he wrapped tight around her, hips stilling, tremors shaking his back and shoulders as he came moments after her.

 

They were both trembling as they pulled apart, lips and noses still brushing, breathing hard.

 

No, Rey thought, brushing a stray tendril of hair out of Kylo’s eyes.

 

She wasn’t sure what this was.

 

But it wasn’t just sex.

 

\---

 

Rey woke slowly, face-down against a pillow that smelled of pine and aftershave and something distinctly male, her legs tangled up in soft sheets and the smell of bacon wafting through the air.

 

_Did I fall asleep in Finn’s room or…_

 

“Hey.” A deep, amused voice sounded from the doorway, and her eyes flew open as she remembered.

 

Rey swore and pulled the sheets around herself even as Kylo leaned up against the doorway, completely naked, raising an eyebrow at her. “For the record, anything you're trying to cover, I’ve already seen. Twice.”

 

“Oh my God, put some _pants_ on, would you?”

 

“And you’ve seen all this.”

 

“Doesn’t mean I want to see it _now_!”

 

Kylo rolled his eyes and walked over to the cherrywood dresser at the far side of the room, tugging open a drawer and extracting a pair of boxer shorts. “Happy?”

 

Rey huffed, flopping back against the pillows. “Sign up for a skating competition, wake up to Kylo Ren’s penis,” she muttered to herself. "I do notthink this was part of the deal."

 

“You didn’t mind it last night,” he noted with a smirk, kneeling down next to the bedside and kissing her cheek. “Now come on, I made breakfast.”

 

Rey stared at him, propping herself up on her elbows. “…I’m sorry, what?”

 

“I. Made. Breakfast. Nothing fancy — I’m not here too often, so there wasn’t much to work with in the fridge. Omelettes, bacon. Whipped up some quick hash browns, too.”

 

Rey kept staring at him, and Kylo cocked his head to the side a little. “I mean, you don’t have to eat anything. I just thought, well…” He shrugged. “After last night and all.”

 

“I…” Rey flushed, staring past him to the wall. “You didn’t have to make me breakfast. I mean… I wasn’t even necessarily going to sleep over. It’s just…”

 

Kylo’s face fell a fraction, and Rey moved closer, cupping his cheek in her hand.

 

“Actually,” she said after a moment, “did you say you had bacon?”

 

\---

 

Halfway through breakfast, Kylo’s phone rang, and he excused himself.

 

Rey watched him go with a mouthful of omelette, trying not to stare as he wandered off, phone in hand, clad only in his boxers. Years of thinking of figure skating as the softer, gentler companion to hockey had left her with a very distorted view of what the male physique would look like from engaging in the sport, she realized. Kylo’s legs were thick and muscular, his back broad, shoulders and arms massive enough to lift her over his head one-handed.

 

She coughed when he noticed her staring, furrowing his brow a little, and she reached for another strip of bacon.

 

“…I mean, we could probably still do it, but a day off would be nice,” she heard him saying from the living room. “Rey’s tough, but I think she could use the downtime.”

 

A pause. “… _no_ , she’s not here. It’s seven-thirty in the morning. Why would she be at my condo?”

 

Another pause. “…okay, no, she wouldn’t be here _any_ time of day, but she…”

 

Rey raised a curious eyebrow at him as he scrubbed a hand over his face. “Fine. I’ll tell Rey _when I see her_ to be ready for press lifts tomorrow. Yeah. …you’re wrong, but think what you want. Okay, bye.”

 

Kylo sighed and tossed his phone onto the couch. “Well, good news: Maz is giving us the day off. Thinks we could use a day of recovery before she skates us into the ice tomorrow.”

 

Rey nodded. “Probably a good idea. I’m exhausted.” She pointed her fork at Kylo as he opened his mouth to speak. “No filthy comments from you. I’m still mad that I started off my day looking at your penis.”

 

“And I’m the filthy one?” Rey's eyes widened as he grinned and leaned across the table to kiss her on the forehead.

 

Her stomach clenched at the familiarity of the gesture, how easily Kylo leaned back in his chair, his fingers playing over the back of her hand.

 

She delicately moved it away, finishing her omelette and avoiding his gaze. “…so what are you going to do with your day off?”

 

Kylo was silent for a long moment. “…I thought we could do something together,” he said finally. “Nothing major. We could go to a movie, check out that new art exhibit downtown. Whatever you want.”

 

Rey slowly dragged her fork against her plate, not meeting his curious stare. “A date?”

 

Kylo shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest. “Not if you don’t want it to be.”

 

He looked strangely vulnerable, despite his broadness: sitting at his kitchen table clad only in his boxers, hair disheveled, body covered in scars, eyes glancing to hers and away like a skittish puppy.

 

“…how’s your chest doing?” Rey murmured, nodding at his still-bandaged torso.

 

His eyes darkened a little as he glanced down, and it was almost as if he’d forgotten about the gash beneath his bandages. “Fine,” he said shortly. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

 

Rey nodded, biting her lip. “I didn’t hurt it last night, did I? When we were…” She gestured.

 

Kylo smiled at her, slow and easy. “What, are you asking if you can kiss it and make it better?”

 

“Oh my _God_.” Rey rolled her eyes and collected her dishes, Kylo’s laughter following her to the sink.

 

\---

 

Granted a reprieve from Maz, they spent the day together, first surveying the new modern art installation at a museum Kylo frequented, then taking to an outdoor rink at the large nearby park.

 

“Want to show off for the crowd?” Kylo had asked, _sotto voce,_ squeezing Rey’s hand as they skated in easy laps. "Side-by-side triple lutzes, nothing fancy."

 

“And have to explain what we’re doing here together to all these people?” Rey laughed, pulling him to skate faster with her. “Not a chance.”

 

Kylo was quiet, even as he kept pace with her, his strides perfectly matching hers. “What _are_ we doing, Rey?” he asked.

 

There was a weight behind his words, something she didn’t want to consider, and Rey kept her eyes forward, gracefully maneuvering past slower skaters, trying to ignore the cuddling couples along the boards.

 

“Skating,” she said. “Just like we always do.”

 

\---

 

They made love again in his bed that night, Rey rising above him, her hands braced along his chest as she rolled her hips and rode him.

 

When he came, her name broke on his lips in a shout, and she held him close, her heart beating wildly.

 

“Stay,” Kylo murmured, after, thumb rubbing circles against her shoulderblade as she lay warmly cuddled against his chest.

 

“Mm,” Rey mumbled, closing her eyes, boneless and spent. “You drove and I’m not paying for a cab. Looks like I’m stuck here for another night.”

 

“…I want you to want to stay,” he said, very quietly, and there was a yearning honesty to it, here in the low light of his bedroom, against the soft sounds of their breathing.

 

Rey frowned a little, even as she nuzzled in against him. It was dangerous, how deeply he’d burrowed into her, the softness of his eyes as he looked at her, the way he held her tight.

 

How much she wanted him to.

 

But it had just been for one day ( _two_ , she thought, and pushed it away). One day off in a whirlwind of practice and preparation, a moment’s passing fancy. Tomorrow they’d return to reality, to the antagonistic tension that served them well.

 

But for now…

 

“Okay,” she whispered.

 

Kylo took her hand in his, held their clasped hands against his chest and wrapped his free arm around her shoulders.

 

When Rey finally drifted off to sleep, he was still holding her hand.

 

 

\---

**ONE WEEK LATER**

**\---**

 

**E! ONLINE _EXCLUSIVE!_ KYLO REN AND REY KENOBI SPOTTED IN PASSIONATE LIPLOCK (PHOTOS)**

November 15, 2016 – Staff

 

Looks like infamous figure skater Kylo Ren is getting ready to stuff something _else_ this Thanksgiving.

 

Sources report seeing Ren at an undisclosed park getting cozy with his new skating partner, tasty 21-year-old morsel Rey Kenobi. The two were spotted in an increasingly-passionate embrace before retreating to another location (Ren may be notorious for his flings, but good to know he has enough class not to do the deed in a park!). Witnesses also spotted the two skating together  _incognito_ at an outdoor rink last week.

 

Looks like all this slumping skater needed all along to bring his career (among other things) back to life was a pretty little plaything to skate next to him, on the ice and off it.

 

\---

 

**NEW MESSAGE: FINN**

Rey? Uh… you up?

           

            yeah – everything ok?

 

Make sure you’re sitting down, then read the article I sent you on FB…

 

Rey?

 

Rey, are you there?

 

\---

 

Rey could barely see straight as she stormed into the rink on Monday morning, phone clenched in a white-knuckled grip.

 

Kylo was already on the ice, idly going through warm-up moves. His face brightened as he saw Rey, expression falling as she stalked over to him, thrusting her phone into his face.

 

“ _Read this_ ,” she spat. She crossed her arms over her chest, flushed with anger and mortification as Kylo skimmed the article on her phone screen.

 

His eyes narrowed, glancing to Rey’s trembling form. He attempted to gather her into a one-armed hug, but she pulled away from him, scowling. “It’s okay,” he assured her, shooting a disgusted glance at her phone before handing it back to her. “I’ll call my lawyers this afternoon and see if they can do anything.”

 

“That’s just…” Rey sighed angrily, sitting hard on the bench and lacing up her skates with more force than necessary. “Did you read what they _called_ me?”

 

“…I did, yeah.”

 

“Like I’m just some cheap… _accessory_ to your skating career. I’ve worked too fucking hard over these last few months to get the same sexist crap I heard every day in hockey.”

 

She pulled her knees up to her chest, settling her chin against them as Kylo sat next to her, looping an arm around her shoulders. She glared at him but didn’t push his arm away.

 

“It’ll be okay,” he repeated, gently rubbing her shoulder. “Honestly, the tabloids are so used to running stories about me getting in bar brawls or getting pulled over for going 120 in a 35 that they don’t know what to do with something as ordinary as me kissing my girlfriend.”

 

Rey slowly turned to look at him, incredulous. “…your _what_.”

 

Kylo shot her a quizzical glance but remained silent.

 

Rey pulled away from his loose embrace, gesturing mutely between them. “This is not… I’m not your _girlfriend_ , Kylo,” she sputtered.

 

Kylo’s eyes narrowed a little. “Well, fine, whatever you want to call it,” he said, crossing his arms defensively over his chest. “We don’t have to label it.”

 

“There is no _it_! We skate together, we…”

 

“…sleep together,” Kylo interjected bluntly.

 

“Five times, okay? And the first one barely even counts, we _said_ it was a mistake.”

 

“I said the way it _happened_ was a mistake, not that it happened at all!” Kylo yelled, coming to his feet. “You slept at my condo for three nights in a row. We've been on dates together. You're telling me you regret everything that's happened between us?"

 

 _No,_ a small voice deep in Rey’s chest admitted. _Not at all._

 

“Kylo—“ she started, eyes pleading even as he took a step back from her, features wounded and closed-off.

 

“To answer your questions, yes, I know about you two, and no, I do not care as long as I don’t have to see it and you can still execute your throw jumps.”

 

Rey reluctantly drew her gaze from Kylo’s as Maz stepped onto the ice. The old woman looked between them over her glasses, appraising and tsking quietly. “Lovers’ quarrel, hm?”

 

“We aren’t lovers.” Kylo fairly spat it, and Rey stared at him.

 

Maz shrugged. “Whatever you are. You’re still skating partners, at least for the next two and a half months. You’re also partners who could use some work on your lasso lifts, so hop to it.”

 

She shuffled back to her bench, queuing up their music and staring at them expectantly.

 

Rey looked at Kylo.

 

Kylo didn't meet her gaze, clenching his teeth hard and staring into the middle distance.

 

Wordlessly, they clasped hands and skated to center ice.

 

They didn’t speak again throughout the entire practice.

 

\---

 

**NEW MESSAGE: KYLO**

Rey, I think we need to talk.

 

…I’m sorry. I’m not trying to push you into anything. 

 

Just talk to me.

 

Please.

 

_(seen: 12:16 am)_

\---

 

Layback.

 

Shotgun.

 

Scratch.

 

Sit spin.

 

Rey grit her teeth and skated into spin after spin until she was dizzy and cross-eyed, falling back against the ice.

 

The ceiling of the rink seemed to tilt at a hundred angles, unsteady, nauseating, like so many things seemed to be in her life right now.

 

Rey hadn’t planned on a last-minute midnight practice, but the series of pleading texts from Kylo had pushed her over the edge. She imagined him lying in bed, that giant, ridiculously comfortable bed she’d lain in with him three nights in a row, cuddled and warm, as he pressed delirious kisses to her temple, her cheekbone, her shoulder.

 

She could almost feel the phantom imprint of them against her skin.

 

She’d grabbed her skates and her keys and made a beeline for the rink.

 

Where she currently lay prone on the ice, staring up at the ceiling, and half-wishing that she could stay there until morning practice.

 

Her thoughts came to a halt at the sound of soft footsteps on the ice. Rey scrambled into a sitting position, still disoriented.

 

There was an elderly man standing just a few feet away from her, dark eyes appraising, sword-slash mouth unsmiling.

 

“You’re Rey, then,” Snoke said.

 

Rey’s eyes widened, and she struggled to rise back up onto her skates.

 

“I’ve heard a lot about you,” he continued, voice soft and disarming in the same way it had been the night she’d heard him with Kylo. “The boy can’t skate for thoughts of you. Distracting.” He gazed at her, slowly up and down, and Rey took a step backwards. “And so plain, too. I’d’ve hoped the girl proving such an interference to my work would at least be a great beauty. Pity.”

 

“I have to go,” Rey said quickly, starting to skate toward the edge of the rink.

 

She stopped as Snoke was suddenly in her path, far faster than she’d seen the man move.

 

“But I think there’s a benefit to you as well,” Snoke murmured, cupping a hand to his chin and staring at Rey, close, far too close. “You’re already receiving such positive press for your skating — such an oddity, they say. A hockey player who can skate in a dignified sport as well. So capable of being… taught.”

 

He reached out and Rey instinctively recoiled, narrowing her eyes. “Any part of you that touches me, you’re going to be retrieving from the incinerator out back,” she ground out.

 

Snoke smiled, a dark, ugly thing that chilled her blood. “And spirited, too,” he said. “I like that in a skater.”

 

“Do you?” Rey bit at him. “Because you seem to like Kylo bloodied under your heel, beaten down so far he doesn’t even know how to get away from you anymore.”

 

“Mm, yes, Kylo," Snoke mused. “So promising. So powerful. That boy carries the legacy of the greats in his veins. But he’s volatile. Unstable.”

 

He leveled Rey with a dark gaze. “Kylo Ren has long since served his purpose to me. He’s dead weight now. A joke in the press, poison to sponsors. Even you can’t undo the damage he’s wrought. He thinks his love for you will heal the wounds he’s laid into himself. But he’s too far gone.”

 

Rey’s heart seized painfully at the word ‘love,’ but still she tried to move past Snoke.

 

“You could replace him, you know,” Snoke insisted, blocking her path. “With your… malleability and my expertise…”

 

He stroked a quick hand over her hair, and Rey inhaled on a deep, shuddering breath, closed her eyes. “…we could be what Kylo Ren could only dream of.”

 

As he withdrew his hand, Rey opened her eyes, clenched a fist, and brought it up short and sharp against Snoke’s jaw in a swift uppercut.

 

There was blood on her knuckles, and she distantly heard the old man swearing behind her as she tore out of her skates, hefting them in her hands and running out to the parking lot barefoot, breathing hard, tears stinging at her eyes for reasons she wasn’t even entirely sure she understood.

 

\---

 

Rey pounded her fist against the elegant door in front of her, keeping one arm wrapped protectively around herself.

 

She’d texted Kylo from the parking lot of the rink with shaking fingers before reversing out of her space so quickly her tires skidded against the asphalt. She knew Snoke wasn’t following her, but her skin still crawled from the old man’s deceptively soft voice, his predatory touches.

 

He’d texted her back when she was on the highway: “ _come over_. _I’m still up._ ”

 

Kylo finally answered the door, bleary-eyed and bare-chested, and wordlessly escorted her in.

 

It felt awkward now, after their fight, to stand in the same doorway where Kylo had hoisted her up and kissed her in days past. Kylo didn’t invite her to sit down or get comfortable, and she didn’t ask. They just stared at each other in the dim glow of the single bulb at the front entryway.

 

“…hi,” Rey said after a moment, arms still wrapped around herself.

 

“What happened?” Kylo asked bluntly.

 

Rey laughed humorlessly, digging her fingers into her ribs. “Your creepy-ass coach found me at a late-night practice and tried to recruit me.”

 

Kylo didn’t answer, merely stared at her.

 

“He told me that… you’d served your purpose, that you weren’t any use to him anymore. He wanted me to leave you and take up with him instead.”

 

“…in what way?”

 

Kylo’s voice was soft, and Rey stared at him in open disbelief. “Jesus Christ, Kylo, not like that! As my _coach_.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “And we had this discussion already — we’re not ‘like’ anything, remember?”

 

His latent sleepiness seemed to be wearing off, and Kylo stood toe-to-toe with her, eyes boring down into hers. “Then why are you here?” he ground out. “What, you don’t care about me but when something goes wrong, I’m the first person you run to?”

 

“First of all, this is more than ‘something going wrong,’ this is something that directly affects you, and second, when did I ever say I don’t care about you?” 

 

“You just don’t want to be with me,” Kylo said flatly.

 

Rey muffled a frustrated scream into her palms before reaching up and grabbing Kylo’s shoulders, dragging him down to her. “Listen to me, you self-absorbed jackass. This is not about you and me, about us, about there not _being_ an ‘us’. This is about your coach being a complete _monster_ who has hurt you every which way, isolated you from your family, and _does not care about you_.” She pulled him down closer to herself in desperation as he tried to pull away. “Kylo, he is going to use you up and throw you away when he’s done. He’s already started. Don’t you see that?”

 

Kylo stared at her for a long moment before pulling her hands away and taking a step back.

 

Then:

 

“I don’t believe you.”

 

Rey’s eyes widened, hands going slack at her sides. “What?”

 

“I don’t believe you,” Kylo repeated coolly, turning away from her. “I don’t believe that he told you that I’m no use to him anymore, I don’t believe that he ‘recruited’ you, and I don’t believe that he doesn’t care about me.”

 

“God, Kylo!” Rey exploded, striding over to him and running her fingers roughly over the scars criss-crossing his bare chest. “What the hell do you call these? You think someone who cares about you would make you hurt yourself? Would hurt you?”

 

Kylo’s eyes were dark, and he opened his mouth to speak.

 

“And don’t you dare say that it’s the same thing with you and me. It’s not the same.” Rey bit hard against her lip, hands clenching into fists.

 

She took a deep breath. “Snoke said… something about you loving me," she said, almost to herself, and she saw Kylo freeze. "That he knew. And maybe I knew it too, okay? Maybe I started seeing it and maybe I didn’t _want_ to. Maybe I didn’t want to know what that meant for me, that I’d have to put a name to things.”

 

She took a step forward, frowning as Kylo moved back, away from her. “But no matter what happens… we’re in this together, okay? And I care about you. I do. That’s why I’m telling you to get away from him. I can’t imagine what your mother went through seeing this for years. I’ve only seen it for a few weeks and it’s killing me.”

 

Kylo’s eyes were dark, gaze flat as he stared at her. “You know,” he said finally, “he was right about you.”

 

Rey’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Who?”

 

“He called half an hour before you got here, you know. Told me everything you’d say. Everything you’d said to him, how you told him what a joke I am, how much fun it’d been toying with me, how pathetically obsessed I am with you, how you’d planned all along to take the money and run.” His tone was flat, disaffected, and it sent a chill down her spine.  

 

Rey took a step forward. “…I never said any of that, Kylo,” she said, attempting to keep her voice steady. “I didn’t.”

 

Kylo shook his head, and his eyes were cold.

 

“Why did you have to ruin everything, Rey?”

 

The same words as the night he’d first kissed her, but now it was the man from earlier that evening, broken and beaten, so far beyond her reach. Beyond anyone's.

 

“…I can’t help you,” Rey whispered, realization dawning, her eyes burning with unshed tears. “Your mother loved you and she couldn’t help you, and neither can I.”

 

“There’s nothing to help,” Kylo ground out. “We make it through qualifying, we go to Nationals, you collect on your payday and we go our separate ways. Just like you wanted.”

 

Rey glared at him, feeling an angry tear slide down her cheek. “You don’t know what I want, Kylo Ren,” she spat at him. "You don't know anything at all." 

 

She spun on her heel, tugged the door to his condo open and slammed it behind her.

 

She ran down the stairs, down the sidewalk, didn’t stop running until she reached her truck.

 

It took three tries to slot the key into the lock, until Rey finally found herself in the driver’s seat, slumped against the steering wheel, and allowed herself to cry in earnest.

 

 _I wanted you,_ Rey thought. _I wanted you,_   _and I didn’t even know it until he took you from me._

\---

**TWO WEEKS LATER**

**\---**

**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**

**Asher & Asher Representation **

**_Kylo Ren and Rey Kenobi Advance to Nationals_ **

Cementing their status as the hottest rising stars in pairs skating, Kylo Ren and Rey Kenobi placed third in the Eastern sectional regional qualifying skate on December 1st, posting a combined score of 211.45 (75.31 short program, 136.14 free skate). This represents a personal best for Ren at his tenth performance in qualifying US Figure Skating competition.

 

Coach Maz Kanata is unsurprised by the pair’s success: “They’ve put in a lot of effort,” the celebrated coach observed rinkside shortly after the competition.

Ren and Kenobi will next compete in the national finals on February 1st.

 

\---

 

**skatesandscowls:**

so, last night’s qualifying… is it just me or did ren and kenobi look really… off? :\\\\\

**kylorensleftskate:**

not just you…… their exhibition skate was all passionate and fiery. they had no spark this time. really surprised they scored as high as they did

**biellmannsurprise:**

they were good, technically; they got the scores they should have. they just looked _dead_. never seen a pair look so damn depressed after qualifying for nationals.

**atwistofarabesque:**

Cosigning all of the above. Ren looks sick. Kenobi looks overwhelmed. Looks like the Ren partner curse may not be over after all. :(

**lutzesfordays:**

did they have a falling out??? we haven't heard anything since that story leaked about them dating......

**kylorensleftskate:**

idk but i heard they broke up. maybe it's still raw :\

 

**rendaily:**

Mod Q here, reminding community members once again that we don't tolerate speculation about skaters' personal lives. Stay on-topic!

 

 **[PM]lutzesfordays:** omg did they really break up? they were so cute together. :(

 **[PM]kylorensleftskate:** sorry. :( i saw a post from a guy who works at the rink where they practice and apparently they won't even park near each other anymore. he said it's like they're total strangers. guess it was too good to be true 

 **[PM]lutzesfordays:** :(

 

\---

**ONE MONTH LATER**

**\---**

“And… _lift_.”

 

Rey stared to the far end of the rink, absently bracing herself against Kylo’s shoulders as he raised her up into a waist loop lift.

 

“And down.”

 

She disengaged, and Kylo slid her gently down to the ice.

 

They didn’t make eye contact.

 

They’d barely spoken for the past month outside of quiet notes during their routines.

 

Maz frowned at them, rolling her eyes and sighing. “You know, we’re lucky that we made it out of qualifying alive with you two moping around like whiny teenagers for the past month. Whatever it is, get over it, kiss and make up, whatever you have to do. But knock it off. Let’s do it again, from the top.”

 

“Sure,” Kylo muttered, skating to center ice and looking at Rey expectantly.

 

Rey stared after him. He looked somehow worse than usual today, and for once, she didn’t look away as she skated over to him.

 

The infrequent dark circles he’d had under his eyes when they started skating together seemed almost permanent now.

 

Rey knew her own were likely just as pronounced — she’d poured herself into her studies with Luke with every ounce of energy should could muster, trying to drive out the lingering tension between herself and Kylo that seemed to grow more oppressive and gray as the days and weeks turned.

 

She couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept well.

 

Probably the last time she'd slept with…

 

“Go,” he muttered as Maz queued up their music.

 

The starting step sequence was complex, but not so much that she couldn’t steal the odd glance at Kylo as he skated. He seemed to have hollowed in on himself, skin turning even paler, and sometimes Rey could swear she saw him wince as he moved.

 

 _What has he done to you since he took you away?_ Rey thought to herself, moving with Kylo into a Chocktaw turn. _What does he tell you when he’s making you bleed onto the ice?_

 

_What does he say about me? About **us**? _

…but there was no ‘them’. She herself had made that perfectly clear, over and over, until Snoke had turned it into a weapon.

 

“Rey!”

 

She looked up distractedly as Maz cut the music, a deep frown on her lined features. “You missed two elements in a row there, girl,” the old woman said, leaning hard on her cane. “Wherever your mind is right now, can you bring it back to the ice?”

 

“Sorry,” Rey mumbled, avoiding Kylo’s curious stare as they skated back to center ice, to starting position.

 

Of course it had been the elements where she moved closest to him that she’d missed. Kylo expertly maneuvered her into a hand-to-hand hold, and Rey felt her heart beat faster at the way his hands wrapped around hers, warm even through his gloves.

 

He easily hoisted her up into a press lift, their hands clasping tight, arms braced against each other.

 

When he released her from the lift, they were supposed to move into side-by-side camel spins, then another step sequence.

 

Instead, the arms that came around her to secure her for the lift dismount held on just a fraction too long, then a heartbeat, and Rey wanted nothing more than to just rest her forehead against his chest, lean into him.

 

 _Let me stay,_ Rey thought, fingers digging into his shoulders.  _Let me have you for just a little longer..._

 

The arm around her shoulders lingered for the space of another heartbeat before spinning her out.

 

“Bad timing today!” Maz called across the rink, cutting the music again.

 

 _...that’s always us, isn’t it,_ Rey thought ruefully, not looking at Kylo. _Bad timing._

\---

 

“… _fuck_ ,” Rey swore, exiting her Biellmann spin and jamming her toe pick into the ice. She’d over-rotated for the fourth time in a row, the sixth time that day.

 

Maz hadn’t been smiling when she finally told Rey and Kylo to call it a day, grumbling to herself and skimming the choreo binder for potential changes after they’d failed to complete three separate passes.

 

Everything seemed to be crumbling around them now, Nationals slowly fading from view, their scores at qualifying the only thin thread of hope they had left.

 

 _I’m sorry, Leia_ , Rey thought to the absent senator, sighing and pinning back an escaping tendril of hair. _I’m sorry that I couldn’t help him, either._

She skated off-ice, tugged off her skates and made a beeline for the locker room.

 

She always kept her head down as she changed, showered, stowed her equipment.

 

It was impossible not to remember the first touch of Kylo’s lips to hers, his skin burning beneath her palms, his arms tight around her as he pressed her back against the lockers.

 

There was a lump in Rey’s throat as she exited the locker room, her equipment bag over her shoulder, and her heart froze as she saw the two figures quietly speaking at the rink’s edge as the Zamboni passed along resurfacing.

 

Kylo was hunched over, arms crossed. Defeated.

 

He didn’t notice Rey.

 

Snoke, for his part, did, dark eyes dispassionate as they met hers when she passed by.

 

He glanced to Kylo, appraising, before laying one cold, grasping hand along his shoulder.

 

When he turned back to Rey, his dark eyes were shining, and there was a smirk on his lips.

 

She stared at Kylo, heart twisting hard in her chest.

 

He didn’t look up.

 

Rey distantly heard Snoke speaking to Kylo in that familiarly-soft voice as she blindly made her way out to the parking lot, eyes burning.

 

She fumbled in her coat pocket, extracted her phone and dialed a familiar number.

 

“Rey? Is something wrong?”

 

“Luke.” She leaned hard against the cab of her truck, dropped her equipment bag at her feet. “...I saw him. Them.”

 

Luke was quiet on the other end of the phone. “…I see. How do you feel?”

 

“…I wanted to kill him.” Her voice broke, and she drove her fist into the driver’s side door. “I wanted to slit Snoke’s throat with my skates and _take him back._ ”  

 

“…I wish I could say I didn’t know the feeling.” Luke sighed. “I have to believe we can still bring him home, somehow. Even after all this time.”

 

Rey laughed, dark and humorless as she swung her bag into the passenger seat. “It’s been a long time since you saw them together, I’m guessing. He’s not coming back.”

 

She rested her head against the steering wheel as she climbed into the cab, shoulders slack. “He smiled at me, Luke,” she said, and her voice was thick with exhaustion. “He had him right there, just far enough away that I couldn't get to him, and the bastard  _smiled_ at me.”

 

Luke didn’t speak.

 

Rey grit her teeth as she slipped the key into the ignition, sighing at the roar of the truck’s engine. “…I’m going to take a raincheck on practice tonight, okay? I did some solo skating after our work with Maz and I’m just…”

 

“Rey. It’s all right.” Luke’s voice was gentle, and she hated him for it. “Take some time off. Regroup. And…” He hesitated. “…I’m not willing to give up on him yet. You shouldn’t either.”

 

Rey murmured a distracted farewell as she stabbed at the ‘end call’ button and tossed her phone to the side, hands gripping the steering wheel tightly in her hands.

 

_I’m not willing to give up on him yet._

She thumped her head against the headrest, staring at the rink through the windshield.

 

 _Luke’s wrong about you_ , she thought, ignoring the bite of tears at the corners of her eyes as she reversed. _And I’m done mourning for you._

\---

 

Rey lay back on her bed, laptop opened and propped up on her stomach, earbuds in. She wasn’t paying attention.

 

It had been almost a walk of shame as she drove back to her shared apartment for the first time in ages, hoping against hope that Finn and Poe were home.

 

When Finn opened the door, she collapsed into his arms, hugging him in a death grip and pressing her face to his shoulder.

 

"...I’m sorry I haven’t been home,” she had managed, fisting her hands in his sweater. “It’s just... with everything... with _him..._ ”

 

“Rey... seriously, it’s okay," Finn shushed her, rubbing comforting circles against her back. "I’ve gotten mixed up with idiot boyfriends before, too.” He crooked a helpless grin at Poe. “Present company excluded, of course.”

 

Poe rolled his eyes a little and settled a hand along Rey’s back. “It’s not too much longer, right? This whole... arrangement?”

 

“One more month.” Rey angrily scrubbed a hand over her face. “We compete in Nationals and then I never have to see him again. His coach can keep torturing him until there’s nothing left, just like he wants.”

 

Poe and Finn had exchanged a look, but said nothing.

 

Rey adjusted the volume on her laptop, glancing at her closed door. Finn and Poe had ordered in pizza and queued up a movie for date night, inviting her to come out to the living room whenever she wanted to.

 

There was a congealing piece of pizza on the rickety end table at her bedside, untouched. Her latest Spotify playlist was open and on repeat. She’d heard the same songs over and over again and still couldn’t identify a single one of them.

 

There was a swell of laughter from the living room, warm and affectionate, and Rey’s heart clenched painfully as she settled back against the worn pillows on her narrow bed.

 

She and Kylo had only gone to the movies once. It had been a loud, bombastic action film, brainless, but she’d still acquiesced as he raised the armrest between them and cuddled her close to his side (and stole half of her popcorn, the bastard).

 

The unmistakable sound of a message alert from her phone pulled her from her reverie, and Rey frowned as she saw a new e-mail from Maz addressed to both her and Kylo.

 

“Hey, you two crazy kids,” it read. “Let’s be honest: you sucked today. Watch these files and we’ll try to suck less tomorrow. Remember what you can do.”

 

Rey rolled her eyes, moving her finger over her trackpad and downloading the three attached video files.

 

 _What we can do,_ she thought, shooting an annoyed glance at the email as the videos downloaded to her hard drive. _There is no ‘we’_ _anymore_.

 

…if there ever had been.

 

Which was the whole core of the problem, really.

 

Rey sighed as she started up the first file, and she instantly recognized the professional taping of their exhibition skate.

 

She’d nearly forgotten how aggressive their first program together was, all hard lines and sharp moves, heavy throws and lifts. She and Kylo glared at each other, harsh and unsmiling, skating toe-to-toe and into tight spins, more combatants meeting on the battlefield than partners on the ice.

 

Rey stopped the video before they got to the final simultaneous spins that she knew ended with her skate scoring into Kylo’s face, biting her lip and staring at the paused frame, Kylo’s hands at her waist as he brought her down from a carry lift.

 

Even in the harshness of the choreography, the brutal battle between them… they still moved together, synchronous, in time with each other’s movements.

 

 _I’ve got the message, Maz. We need to work together again,_ Rey sighed, starting to close out the video player.

 

The second clip caught her eye, and a lump seemed to form in her throat as she recognized the thumbnail image.

 

She didn’t want to watch, didn’t want to be reminded…

 

Her hand moved almost of its own regard, opening the file.

 

It was lower-resolution than the first video. Maz liked to tape some of their practices for review but only had an off-the-rack point-and-shoot model for it. Good enough to shoot for reference...

 

…and, Rey thought, digging her hands into the blankets on her bed, heart pounding, good enough to see everything that passed between her and Kylo as they skated through the first practice of their qualifying routine.

 

She’d felt it, that day, the breathtaking symmetry between them, the perfect timing, the utter completeness as they moved together.

 

But it was another thing entirely to see it from the outside.

 

The way Kylo’s eyes followed her every move, helpless, awed.

 

The way her own closed as his hands moved over hers, over her hips and arms, and she leaned closer to him.

 

The way they skated together in hold, all yearning touches and burning stares, almost heedless of the music.

 

It was the effortless, impassioned skating of two people deeply in love and utterly unaware of it.

 

Rey shut her laptop with a firm snap, staring up at the ceiling with eyes gone hot and gritty.

 

She hadn’t needed to see the third video, doubtless their qualifying skate, to finally recognize the anemic performance for what it was.

 

Heartbreak.

 

Rey grit her teeth and shoved her laptop to the side, storming out of her bedroom and retrieving her equipment bag from the front entryway.

 

“…Rey? You okay?” Finn fumbled for the remote and paused the movie, looking at her in concern.

 

“I…” She clenched her fists at her sides and ducked her head. “I’m going to head back to the rink. Practice for a little while.”

 

“…are you sure?” Poe asked, frowning. “It’s almost midnight.”

 

“Yeah.” She offered them a weak smile. “I just… have a lot on my mind right now that I could really stand to skate out.”

 

She clutched her bag in her hands and tried to will away the image of herself and Kylo clinging together at center ice, foreheads touching, eyes closed.

 

Tried to remember that the man in that video was lost to her.

 

 _One more month,_ she thought.  

 

\---

 

Rey clutched an oversized latte in her hand as she made her way across the rink parking lot (this time with pepper spray attached to her key ring and brass knuckles in her bag — gifts from Finn and Poe).

 

She yawned widely as she crossed over the concrete barrier, scrubbing at her eyes with her free hand. It was a miracle that she and Kylo hadn’t had another incident like they’d suffered during exhibition, considering how exhausted they both always seemed to be.

 

(Rey frowned, recalling how Kylo had asked her about her nightmares that night in the ER, how she’d thrown his back at him. Little had she known at the time that her nightmares would soon be _about_ him, always just inches away from her grasp, always ending with him bloodied and motionless on the ice, Snoke’s laugh echoing around them…)

 

Rey pushed the doors to the rink open, unease curling tight in her belly as she saw the lights on, heard the unmistakable sound of skate blades on ice.

 

She moved forward carefully, pepper spray in hand.

 

There, skating in careful turns and spins at center ice, was Kylo.

 

His eyes were dark and purposeful, mouth set into a tight line.

 

Snoke was nowhere to be seen.

 

Rey watched him for long minutes, the way he kept his head down, the way he dug his skates into the ice, punishing, the way he swore under his breath whenever he made a misstep.

 

He looked so tired,and her heart ached for him.

 

“...you know, if you’re trying to kill yourself, exhaustion is probably one of the slower ways to do it,” Rey finally offered, leaning her middle against the half-boards, features schooled into a careful mask of indifference.

 

Kylo came to a slow stop, pivoting at center ice and staring at her.

 

Instead of the blankness she’d grown accustomed to seeing in his eyes over the past month, there was longing, hurt, wariness.

 

Rey silently sat on the bench at rinkside, slipping into her skates and lacing them up with deft fingers.

 

Kylo’s gaze never moved from her. He didn’t move at all.

 

Taking a deep breath, Rey stepped onto the ice, skating towards him, slowly, purposefully.

 

She hesitated but didn’t stop until their toe picks touched, until Kylo finally turned away.

 

Before she'd even realized she'd done it, Rey had wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest.

 

He didn’t say anything.

 

“...I miss you,” she finally whispered, voice breaking on the words, and it echoed across the ice, thundering.

 

The words seemed to break something in Kylo, and Rey gasped as his arms came tightly around her, his face buried in her hair, his shoulders shaking with fine tremors as she ran her hands, unsteady and hesitant, up his back.

 

“…I quit, Rey,” he managed, voice muffled against the fall of Rey’s hair. “Tonight.”

 

Rey pulled back, stared at him in confusion. “You quit… skating?”

 

Kylo shook his head, reaching out to graze shaking fingertips across her temple. “Snoke.”

 

Rey’s eyes widened, heart stopping as his words registered. “…you left him?” she whispered. “Tonight? _How_?”

 

“He’s threatening legal action,” Kylo murmured, oblivious. “I knew he would. He says it's a breach of contract, that I'll be sorry, but... I didn’t have a choice. I couldn’t…”

 

His trembling hand curved around her cheek. “He gave me an ultimatum,” he said quietly. “Said I haven’t… been the same since I started skating with you. That I’m…” He took a deep breath. “ _…weak_ now. So he told me to choose: keep him as coach, or keep you as my partner.”

 

Rey’s eyes widened further as she stared up at him. “Kylo…”

 

“No, just…” He pressed his fingers to Rey’s lips, scrubbing a hand over his face with his free hand. “Look, I… I need to apologize. For everything. With Snoke, with skating, with us, with my thinking there _was_ an ‘us’… I’m sorry, Rey. I’m sorry for all of it. I'm _sorry_.”

 

He clutched her hand out of habit before loosening his grasp, casting an apologetic glance at her. "...I know you only did this, skated with me because my mother paid you to,” he murmured. “ And I know I don’t deserve you. I know I hurt you.”

 

He swallowed hard, brushing his thumb over her cheekbone. “But if you could…" He was crying, and Rey laid her hand over his. "...if we can just... make it to Nationals... if you would just let me skate by your side, just one last time… that's all I need. That's all I'd ask for.”

 

Rey stared at him with damp eyes, clutching his hand.

 

“Rey?” Kylo managed. “What do you…”

 

He trailed off as Rey leaned up on her toe picks, as she threaded her hands through his hair and kissed him, hard, desperate, clinging.

 

Before she knew it, Kylo’s arms were wrapped tight around her, lifting her off her feet as he tilted his head and deepened the kiss, something between a cry and a groan tearing from his throat.

 

Rey broke the kiss first, pressing her tear-dampened cheek to his.

 

“I missed you so much," she whispered. "Every single day. I thought he’d taken you." She swallowed hard, inhaled on an unsteady breath. “I thought he'd taken you from me for good."

 

Kylo shook his head, pressed a kiss to her cheek and rested his forehead against hers. “I didn’t have a choice,” he murmured. “Snoke couldn’t keep me. I was already yours.”

 

\---

**ONE MONTH LATER**

\---

“Team Ren and Kenobi, you’re up next.”

 

Kylo rubbed Rey’s back as she placed her head between her knees. “I can’t believe we’re actually _here_ ,” she managed in between slow, steady breaths. “We made it to Nationals.”

 

“I can’t believe I’m _back_ here,” Kylo noted. “They’re still cheaping out on the refreshments.”

 

“ _Kylo_.”

 

“What? As much money as they’re going to make between our sponsorships, the least they can do is serve something better than crudites.”

 

“We can get something better after we win.”

 

Kylo laughed, offering Rey a hand and helping her to her feet. “You’re that convinced we’re going to win? We placed third at qualifying.”

 

“No one who takes the top seed ever ends up winning it all. Mark it down. We’ve got this.”

 

Kylo was quiet for a long moment, looking down at his and Rey’s clasped hands. “1970 Bruins,” he said suddenly, not meeting Rey’s curious gaze. “Did they have the top seed?”

 

Rey offered him a soft smile, squeezing his hand. “Second. And they hoisted the Cup by the time it was all over.”

 

“You know, if this skating thing works out I think you have a future as a hockey historian.”

 

Rey snorted. “Please. Like I knew that off the top of my head.” She rubbed her thumb over the back of Kylo’s hand. “I read up on it. I figured you’d want to know about that year eventually.” She paused. “…and we can go see him someday. When you’re ready.”

 

Kylo crooked a smile at her, leaning down to kiss her cheek. “Thanks,” he murmured. “Think I’d better learn a little more about hockey before I try a… reconciliation. Any plans on going back to it any time soon?”

 

“Mm, I don’t know,” Rey said thoughtfully. “Would you come to my games?”

 

“Would you want me to?”

 

Rey rolled her eyes. “No, why would I want my boyfriend to come and cheer me on?”

 

Kylo froze next to her.

 

Rey grinned at him.

 

“…well,” Kylo said after a moment, recovering, “if all goes well, I should be able to get back into singles competition by next year. I guess I could stomach some hockey if my girlfriend came to my programs.”

 

Rey squeezed his hand and reached up to pull his face down to hers. “I came to this one, didn’t I?” she said softly, closing her eyes and leaning into his kiss.

 

“Ren and Kenobi to center ice!”

 

They pulled apart, grinning, foreheads pressed together.

 

“Ready?” Kylo asked.

 

“Ready,” Rey affirmed.

 

They clasped hands and skated forward.

 

\---

 

**Cinderella on Skates: Ren and Kenobi Capture Gold at US Nationals**

February 1, 2017 – SkateZone Editorial Staff

 

Perhaps the greatest story ever told on ice comes to us from the world of hockey, not figure skating, as Al Michaels uttered five iconic words at the 1980 Olympics: “Do you believe in miracles?”

 

Tonight, at the finals for US National Figure Skating, figure skating saw its own “miracle” story, as Kylo Ren and first-year partner Rey Kenobi took their place on the podium flashing gold medals after scoring a staggering 225.71 cumulative between their short program and free skate. After an anemic performance at last year’s qualifiers, the dynamic duo that shook the skating world with their early exhibition skate last fall were back in absolutely riveting form. Ren delivered hands-down the greatest performance of his career, and he and newcomer Kenobi, a neophyte skater no less, demonstrated the kind of synchronous skating and perfect timing partners who have skated for 10 years struggle to master, let alone a pair with only six months of practice time under their belts.

 

Let’s be honest: coming into tonight’s competition, the big story was whether or not fading star Kylo Ren would finally manage to redeem himself after years of scandal and failure. Needless to say, his performance with Kenobi tonight laid all those doubts to rest. Posting the highest scores of his career, Ren’s never presented such polished skating. Kenobi, for her part, showed none of the opening-night jitters that we saw from her in exhibition and qualifying. Her interplay with Ren throughout their program represented some of the best pairs work we’ve seen in years.

 

In the lead-up to this year’s competition, much of the dialogue skewed towards the skating duo as individuals: would Ren finally conquer his demons and return to the strength of skating that seemed a distant memory? Would Kenobi rise out of the shadows and carve out her own space on the ice? Looking at tonight’s performances, what’s abundantly clear is that this never was a story about Kylo Ren or Rey Kenobi as individuals, but rather the powerhouse duo they are together.

 

\---

**lutzesfordays:**

okay guys I know we’re not supposed to ship real people, I KNOW, but you guys ren fucking PICKED UP KENOBI AND SPUN HER AROUND AND _KISSED HER_ AFTER THEIR PROGRAM FINISHED. AM I NOT SUPPOSED TO SCREAM. IM SCREAMING YOU GUYS

**kylorensleftskate:**

did you see the way they looked at each other as they were waiting for their scores?? MY HEART

**skatesandscowls:**

my baby kylo ren is all grown up *cries*

**atwistofarabesque:**

…I’m not saying they fucked in the locker room after they won but they totally fucked in the locker room after they won

 

**kylorensleftskate:**

*looks around* okay real quick before the mods get back…… do they have an official ship name yet????

**skatesandscowls:**

renobi??

**atwistofarabesque:**

That’s a little awkward… what about Reylo?

**lutzesfordays:**

im going reylo

**rendaily:**

Mod Q here, guys.

...

…actually, I’m gonna go Reylo, too.

 

**\---**

**ONE YEAR LATER**

**\---**

“ _Go, Rey!_ ”

 

She grins, keeps her head up as she gains the line, all crossovers and quick skating that she’s long-since perfected, keeping the puck on her stick.

 

Finn and Poe are on the wings with her, skating with her, holding formation and supporting her as she goes. It’s what they do, after all, on the ice and off it. They’d valiantly charged into the coach’s office a year back, demanding Rey be allowed to try out for the Ice Warriors again.

 

(They’d had no way of knowing that Rey had already aced the tryout, and that they’d told her she didn’t even _need_ one, but it was very sweet just the same.)

 

Leia is in the front row of the stands, always in the offensive end, bundled up and grinning, forever bearing a series of signs cheering Rey on. She’s not always there, not with so much to do, so much to fix in the country, but it’s become one of the Senator’s favorite pasttimes.

 

Rey smiles as she sees one of the reasons why, sees her excitedly grasping her son’s arm and cajoling him to cheer with her. Kylo is far too dignified to cheer his lungs out like his mother and the rest of the attendees, but he grins at Rey, applauds when she scores, kisses her senseless in the parking lot after they win and hugs her tightly when they lose.

 

Sometimes, if he’s in a particularly good mood, he buys nachos from the concession stand and saves them for her and the boys. He’s getting to know them, Finn and Poe — they still don’t trust him, not entirely, but he loves Rey and Rey loves him and that’s enough for now.

 

Rey is all but an official part of Kylo’s family (how tangled up she’d been in all of them before she’d even known what she was getting herself into). Leia hugs her, tells her how she’s always wanted a daughter, cajoles Kylo about marrying her (“give it time, Mom, Christ”). Luke is terrible at hockey, but sometimes he joins Rey and the boys for pickup games just for the fun of it.

 

(Once, just once, she and Kylo had held hands on a rainy Saturday as they stood by an immaculately-tended gravesite. They didn’t speak, but Kylo had held her hand just a little tighter.)

 

Kylo is back skating in solo competition after a scandal-free year. He's already the odds leader for Olympic gold in 2018 (he rolls his eyes at the effusive praise he receives, but Rey sends him every positive article she finds, reads them to him at night when they're in bed together). The tabloids, when they bother to report on him — he’s just not as interesting when he’s not in trouble — mostly credit his turnaround to his relationship with former skating partner Rey Kenobi.

 

(It makes them laugh when they see it — they both know Rey only helped. In the end, Kylo had to save himself. She was just waiting to catch him on the other side.)

 

It’s a good life, Rey thinks, as she skates hard into the offensive zone. She has the ice beneath her skates, a stick in her hands. She has good, loyal friends.

 

And she has a still-healing man who looks at her like the sun rises and falls in her eyes, whose arms she wakes up wrapped in every morning, who makes her coffee just the way she likes it and keeps his skates neatly beside hers.

 

“Shoot, Rey!”

 

Slapshot, right shoulder.

 

 _They never learn, do they?_ Rey thinks with a wry grin as the goal horn blares, as the cheer roars.

 

The team crowds around her, gathering her up in a group hug.

 

She finds Kylo’s eyes in the stands, feels the smile he keeps just for her.

 

It’s almost funny, how just a year ago she’d pitied the girl who would skate beside him.

 

How a year later, she’d be the one who walks with him, side-by-side, hand-in-hand.

 

How she’d never want it any other way.

 

**\---**

**FIN**

**\---**


End file.
